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: 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

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 ....

Fact: Oct. 24: Next Missa Cantata at St. Ann's in Charlotte, NC

And so it continues dear Readers, as Father Z so often says "brick by brick" the fruits of Summorum Pontificum continue to flourish as St. Ann's (and it wonderful priest, Fr. Reid) prepares for its next Missa Cantata on October 24 for the Solemn Feast (anticipated) of Christ the King! This will also be held in the "transformed" church which will be just a perfect setting for this Mass of the Ages.

Please pray for Fr. Reid and the Altar servers in training as they prepare for this next Mass.

"Et adorabunt eum omes reges terrae: omnes gentes servient ei" (Psalm lxxi)

Fact: Second Anniversary of Summorum Pontificum

Today marks the second full year since our Holy Father's Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum and the blessings and graces of the liberation of the Extraordinary form of the Mass continue to be felt worldwide!

A day does not go by that I do not thank God Almighty for giving us this Pope at this time in our history. He is an extraordinary teacher and with Summorum Pontificum he unleashed the full graces of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to begin recovering our Catholic Identity.



Without his efforts, none of this would have been possible....

Missa Cantata at St. Ann's in Charlotte, NC

Italy

San Giovanni Laterano -- Rome, Italy

Notre Dame Cathedral -- Paris, France

Westminster Cathedral -- London, UK

St. John Cantius -- Chicago, USA

Lourdes, France

Seton Hall University, USA

Poland

Holland

Germany

France

Dublin, Ireland

Italy

Philippines

For the first time in over 40 years, the Extraordinary form of the Mass has become more and more accessible, offered again in the many of the great cathedrals and basilicae of the world, as it had been offered over 1500 years prior. Its reverence and graces wash over the nostalgic and young alike. As faithful come into contact with this form of the Mass, many are touched and pulled closer to the ancient Tradition of Holy Mother Church.

"What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful. It behooves all of us to preserve the riches which have developed in the Church’s faith and prayer, and to give them their proper place." (Benedict XVI Explanatory letter to Summorum Pontificum)

Thank you so much Holy Father for returning this treasure of the Church to the faithful and for being the wonderful Shepherd that your are to us.


Viva il Papa!!

Grapevine: Solemn High Mass in Greensboro

Word is spreading that if all the pieces come together, there will be a Solemn High Mass at Our Lady of Grace Church, 2205 W. Market St., in Greensboro, NC on Sunday 21 June 2009, 4pm. All credit to Sid Cundiff who posted this news in the comments here.

The last High Mass that I attended at Our Lady of Grace was just spectacular, and for any of those who have not personally experienced this, I strongly encourage you to assist at Mass on the 21 June.

Here are some photos that I found online (credit News-Register) of the last Mass that I attended....
Introibo ad altare Dei, ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam (Psalm xlii)

Fact: Missa Cantata at St. Ann's Charlotte - Ascension Thrusday, May 21st

Official communication has come out from internal sources at St. Ann's in Charlotte that there will be a Missa Cantata on Ascension Thursday, May 21st, at 7.00pm.

What a fantastic blessing on the flock of city of Charlotte, to not only have a Mass offered on the actual day of Ascension itself, but a Mass in the Extraordinary Form Missa Cantata!!

Please share with all of your firends and family to support Father Reid in this wonderful grace-fill event!

Viri Galillaei, quid admiramini aspicientes in caelum? (Introit of Ascension Thursday)

Grapevine: Missa Cantata at St. Ann's??

I am hearing that there may be a Missa Cantata at St. Ann's for Ascension Thursday. There have been more than enough servers trained at St. Ann's in Charlotte, and I understand a Schola Cantorum has been practicing... please pray that this can soon be reported as a "fact" on our blog.


Introibo ad altare Dei.... ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam

Fact: Solemn High Mass in Extraordinary Form on August 15 in Clemmons, NC

Dear Readers, please see this post over at Charlie's blog where he has learned of a Solemn High Mass to be offered on the Feast of the Assumption B.V.M. at noon in Clemmons, NC at Holy Family Church.

Fact: Late Breaking News on Aug. 2 Mass at St. Ann's

I doubt that my blog has the readership to reach the right audience, especially give the short notice, but it was announced on Sunday, that Father Reid will be leaving Thursday, July 31 for a mission trip to Jamaica. As a result, the regular 8.00am Mass in the Extraordinary Form that he offers will instead be offered in the Ordinary form on August 2 by a visiting priest, Father Henning.

This unfortunately was not announced at Saturday's Extraordinary form of the Mass so there may be some who regularly assist at that Mass who will be surprised next Saturday. If you know anyone who regularly attends, or might attend on First Saturdays, please let them know of this news.

The Extraordinary form will return on the following Saturday, August 9, at 8.00am, but this will be the last Saturday morning Mass when the Extraordinary Form will then be moved to Wednesdays, at 6.00pm as discussed here in an earlier post.

Please pray for more priests to be trained in the Extraordinary form so that a vacation, pilgrimage, or mission trip of one priest will not cause Masses in the Extraordinary form to be cancelled or changed to the Ordinary form.

Grapevine: TLM to be offered at Charlotte Cathedral?

As with all the "Grapevine" posts, there is nothing formal or official with which to link or reference directly, but there are stong currents from different sources that lead some to believe that in the not too distant future, the Mass in the Extraordinary Form may be offered at the Charlotte Cathedral on a regular basis.

Giving the rumor some objective creedence is that fact that Father Roux, the new Rector of the Cathedral, was most recently a Priest-in-Residence at St. Ann's parish, and was a supporter of Fr. Reid's efforts in offering the TLM there at St. Ann's. In addition, Fr. Roux himself offered the Mass in the Extraordianary Form on this last weekend at St. Ann's.

Couple this with the changes seen by Charlie in the orientation going on at the Cathedral since his arrival, one can easily see how this could be a definate possibility in the future. The key as always, dear Readers, is to be patient, for little by little things are changing!! If anyone has information that could confirm or deny this posting, please let me know.

Please pray for patience... and for more holy priests and vocations!

Fact: Introduction Catechesis to Extraordinary Form at St. Ann's

Dear Readers... please be sure to surf over to Carolina Cannonball's blog for an excellent post on the upcoming catechesis to take place at St. Ann's in Charlotte regarding the Extraordinary Form of the Mass.

Grapevine: TLM may be offered at St. Michael’s in Gastonia in the future

I am aware of no formal announcement of plans, but according the Vicar Forane of Charlotte, Father Arnsparger of St. Michael’s in Gastonia is another parish in the Charlotte area expected to offer the Mass in the Extraordinary form in the not too distant future.

It is also my understanding, although I have not attended, that Fr. Arnsparger offers a Latin Mass in the Ordinary form every First Saturday at 8.15am. It is my further understanding that by offering this Novus Ordo Mass in Latin, Fr. Arnsparger is developing his Latin skills. Lastly to this point, the “little red books” for the TLM have been ordered and possibly even been received by this time.

As a fact I can state that I have attended his English Masses in the Ordinary form and it is very obvious from the moment of entering his parish that Fr. Arnsparger is committed to recapturing and developing the Catholic identity of his flock. Upon entering St. Michael’s one will immediately notice two “unique” elements to Charlotte Catholic churches… 1) reverent silence too often missing in other parishes and 2) the “Benedictine” altar arrangement of an altar cross and 6 candles.

Once he actually begins offering the Mass, it is also clear that he has been impacted by his studies of the older form of the Mass in his mannerisms and movements. He is a holy and dedicated priest who we need to remember in our prayers.

Lastly as we talk via the grapevine, I have reason to believe that Fathers Reid and Arnsparger are in contact with each other and that there will be future coordination of the TLMs that are offered.

If anyone happens to have more details that might allow us to move this from Grapevine to Fact, please let me know.

Fact: St. Ann’s Traditional Latin Mass to be expanded!!

I had no sooner just posted asking for patience when the new news hit: Father Reid will be making some changes that will expand the Mass in the Extraordinary form at St. Ann’s parish on Park Road in Charlotte, NC.

Beginning Wednesday, August 13, the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, originally held at 8.00am on Saturdays, will be moved to every Wednesday evening at 6.00pm following the 5.00pm Holy Hour of Adoration.

But there is more!! Due to the stable attendance of those assisting every Saturday morning since he began to offer the Mass, he will be adding a 6.30pm Vigil Mass each First Saturday what will fulfill our Sunday obligation!!

Things are changing dear Readers, little by little and step by step, we are slowly beginning to recover our Catholic identity. The important thing to watch here is that Father Reid; whether in the original Saturday morning offering of the Mass, or to the Wednesday evening Mass to which he will move it, he has not “added” a Mass, but rather he has chosen to use the Extraordinary form in place of the Ordinary form.

Why is this important? Because Fr. Reid is listening very closely to what our wonderful Holy Father, Benedict XVI has been saying that the Extraordinary form is a precious treasure of the entire Church, not just those of us who already know and love it. By replacing a regular daily Mass in the Ordinary form with the Extraordinary form, he is sharing this treasure with those who have never been exposed to it before.

Who among us familiar with it think that it will not have a positive impact on the others. The reverence, the silence, the clear focus versus Deum, etc. of the Extraordinary form cannot go unnoticed. Not all will be immediately enamored with the old form of the Mass, but they will notice differences that in the long term will have an impact.

Again I pray for patience among us and our continued prayers for Fr. Reid and His Holiness Benedict XVI – Long may he reign! W il Papa!

Fact: Traditional Latin Masses in Charlotte now offered

It is official dear Readers; Father Reid at St. Ann’s parish on Park Road in Charlotte, NC has begun offering the Extraordinary form of the Mass on a weekly basis, every Saturday morning at 8.00am. While not a Mass fulfilling the Sunday obligation, it is the first regular, weekly Mass offered here in the city of Charlotte and it is expected to grow! Rendiamo grazie a Dio!

Now before folks get all excited of the timing/placement of this seemingly being inconvenient; let us all take a step back and show some patience. After 40 years of no extraordinary form Mass, let us first rejoice at the fact that a regular weekly Mass is being offered by a deeply committed and holy priest. He too needs time since in his formation did not prepare him to offer this Mass.

Please pray for Father Reid, all priests, and for vocations.