Grapevine: More Solemn High Masses at St. Ann's !!

Dear Readers,

The smell of incense has not yet fully left the sanctuary of St. Ann's in Charlotte after an awesomely beautiful Solemn High Mass offered by newly ordained priest, Fr. Jason Barone, when the Grapevine is all-a-buzz that the month of July will be another banner month for those who love the Mass in the Extraordinary Form.

I am hearing that preparations are underway for two more Solemn High Masses in July alone:

•  Saturday, July 7    -  VI Sunday after Pentecost (anticipated)
•  Thursday, July 26 -  Feast of St. Anne

It seems ever-so-fitting that the July 7th  Mass (if it becomes a "fact") will occur on the 5th Anniversary of the promulgation of Summorum Pontificum of our Holy Father, Benedict XVI (Long may he reign!) which liberated the Mass in the Extraordinary Form for all of us to enjoy.

Also, along this line, sources within the "Park Rd Curia" are saying that there could even be a Mass offered on Friday, Sept. 14 - Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross as a thanksgiving for the 5th anniversary of the implementation of Summorum Pontificum.

I know that there are many readers who are disappointed that in these last 5 years we have yet to achieve a regular, weekly MEF that would satisfy our Sunday obligation, myself included... but what I keep telling myself, and would encourage each of you, is continued patience.

As I look at the continued growth of the number of priests and seminarians in the Charlotte area that know how to offer the MEF; the number of servers who can serve the MEF; the continuing maturity of the St. Ann Schola and Choir in support of both Gregorian Propers & Ordinary as well as beautiful polyphony; the number of Novus Ordo Catholics newly "exposed" to the MEF...all of it is tracking in the right direction!

But in addition to patience, Gentle Readers, I think there is more that needs to be done by those of us that so love this Treasury of Holy Mother Church... we need to support all of this efforts with our time, talent, and treasure.

• Time:  Be sure to attend these Masses when they are offered and pray
• Talent: Volunteer to help train the servers, or usher at a Mass, or to sing in the Schola
• Treasure: Vestiments, whether priestly or server cassocks, Mass programs, and candles, etc... these all cost money, and your financial support can go a long way

But the best way as always to support is via prayer... please pray for all the Priests, clerics, servers, musicians, and laymen/women who make all this possible.. and for our Holy Father and Bishop.

"What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too..." 
                                                            -- Pope Benedict XVI

Fact: the Solemn High Mass was sublime

Gentle Readers,

Greetings to you at the end of an emotional day full of spiritual graces.  After attending the Ordination yesterday (June 2, 2012) for three new priests for the Diocese of Charlotte (emotional and grace-filled in and of itself)... today I assisted at the First Mass for one of those three priests... now Father Jason Barone.   It was, in the word used over and over by many... "sublime"!

It was a First Mass of a new priest... and it was in the Extraordinary Form!  In the words of Father Barone himself:

"For me, the Latin Mass has had a profound impact on inspiring and sustaining my vocation overs these six years of priestly formation.  A Solemn High Latin Mass is therefore the most beautiful and solemn means of expression I  know to render to God for all He has done in my life."

This type of response from a newly ordained priest continues to give me hope for the future of Holy Mother Church's "treasury of inestimable value" getting made more visible to Her children.  Please continue to pray with me for Father Barone, Father Reid, and all our priests and seminarians.

The beauty of today's Mass could be experienced in so many ways, on so many planes ... and I neither have the time, energy, or vocabulary to express it all... but allow me to try to capture a few...

Firstly, the "eye candy" of liturgical precision for Father's First Mass... lead by experienced clerics along with some of St. Ann's outstanding servers with whom we have become accustomed to their reverent and precise service at the altar.

Secondly, the music... to avoid the overused word 'sublime', let me try the word 'moving'.  I am sorry, if you were someone inside St. Ann's today during this Mass, and you were not moved or have goosebumps at least one point during that Mass... then you must be dead, and I will pray for you!  St. Ann's Schola blog already has the link up to the selection of music from the Mass.   Hearing both the Gregorian plainchant and the great polyphonic strains on more than one occasion lifted me up and I felt like I was floating with the unseen angels in the church.... and that organ, wow!

Thirdly, and most importantly... the spiritual Graces that flow out of that Mass, due to the Eucharist itself, and to the outstanding homily by Father Barone's Theology professor at seminary.


As if this Solemn High Mass was not emotional and moving enough for me, I will in closing share two additional moments for me today that I hope to elaborate on in later posts, but want to share while they were still fresh.

1. At the Novus Ordo Mass this morning, Father Reid announced that one of the altar boys has been  accepted to the seminary and will start in the Fall.  Please pray for this young man, and for more vocations.
2. I ended my evening by going to the movies (something I had not done since The Passion of the Christ was released) to the For Greater Glory, and I must say that I am not the same person I was when I went into that theater.  It has had a tremendous impact on me, and I need to meditate on and hopefully share with you.  If you have plans to see it yourself, be warned that it has some very disturbing scenes, but then again it is a very disturbing set of events from history that are being documented.

 Tu es sacerdos in aeternum....   Viva Cristo Rey!

Fact: Solemn High Mass at St. Ann's on June 3

Gentle Readers... hopefully you were one of those present for last evening's sublime Missa Cantata for Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

For those who could not make it, it was per usual, a beautiful, grace-filled affair with all the precision and attention that we have come to expect from Fr. Reid, the Servers, and Schola of St. Ann's.

Also, a surprise "cameo" appearance in coro by Rev. Mr. Jason Barone who chanted the evening's Epistle. Fr. Reid recognized him during the homily and confirmed what we had reported a number of weeks ago that soon-to-be Fr. Barone will offer is First Mass at St. Ann's as a Solemn High Mass on Sunday, June 3rd at 2.30pm.

I am hearing that the music for the Mass will be a combination of St. Ann's Schola Cantorum and the Charlotte-based Renaissance choral group. It is an event not to be missed.. and I would suggest arriving early!


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

Grapevine: Re-union of the SPPX at hand?

Dear Readers... I ask that you take a quick minute to offer up prayer to St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church that the news that I am hearing leaking out of the Italian press may prove to be true!

How dearly Holy Mother Church needs this infusion of Tradition to join with the transitional parishes like St. Ann's to offset the "fluff" of the "pop" parishes to achieve what our Holy Father desires... id est the "mutual enrichment" of the liturgy... so that Lex orandi, Lex credenti.

I have prayed fervently for this reconciliation since the election of Benedict XVI to the Chair of St. Peter... and hopefully this will be confirmed by Roman morning. Please join me in this prayer of unity... and for the SPPX chapel of St. Anthony of Padua here in Charlotte.

Carissimo San Giuseppe, Patrone della Chiesa universale... prega per tuoi figli e la nostra l'unita sotto Pietro.

Fact: Missa Cantata for Ascension at St. Ann's in Charlotte is Confirmed

Dear Readers,

As expected, Fr. Reid announced in his letter in the St. Ann's bulletin that the next Missa Cantata will be offered on Thursday, May 17 -- Feast of the Ascension.

This confirmation, coupled with the earlier announcement of the Solemn High Mass for the Most Holy Trinity on Sunday, June 3 at 2.30pm, offers us the opportunity of enjoying the graces of these Masses with a couple of weeks of each other.

I hope that all of you that can will make every effort to attend.

Fact: Missa Cantata for Annuciation at St. Ann's in Charlotte is Confirmed

It was confirmed in St. Ann's bulletin last week that there will be a Missa Cantata offered on Monday, March 26th for the transferred Feast of the Annunciation at 7pm.


I hope that there will be a good turnout to offer Fr. Reid, Servers, and Schola & Choir support for all the effort they do to bring these fonts of grace to us.

Fact: Seminarian to offer his first Mass after his Ordination as a Missa Solemnis

Gentle Readers...

In a couple of my past postings I have spoken glowingly, and full of hope for the number of orthodox seminarians in the Diocese of Charlotte... in faithful accord with the mens of the Holy Father.

One in particular I have mentioned was Jason Barone (now Deacon Barone)... and I am pleased to share this news that he has posted to his Facebook:

Greetings all. As many of you know, I'm in the final months of priestly formation and preparation. My bishop now plans to ordain me to the holy priesthood this June 2nd at St. Mark's Catholic Church in Huntersville, NC (just outside Charlotte) at 10am. My first Mass will take place the following day, Sunday June 3rd, at St. Ann's Catholic Church in Charlotte at 2:30pm. Receptions will follow both. Please save the date. I hope you can join me for this momentous weekend.

Those of you following my early posts will well notice that this timing aligns with the Missa Solemnis that we are expecting at St. Ann's... so my dear readers, it does not take much deduction to notice that his First Mass offered after his Ordination will be a Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary form!!

I hope that as many of you as possible can be there to support Deacon Barone... both at his Ordination, and for his First Mass!

Please continue praying for Deacon Barone and all of our seminaries as they continue their preparations and study for becoming ministers of Christ's Holy Church.