Vol 12 AMAZING PARISHES WINTER 2015

REGINA Inspiring. Intelligent. Catholic.

The Secret Catholic Insider’s Guide to

Amazing Parishes Canon Amaury Montjean, ICKSP on the roof of the ‘Dome of Home’ in New Brighton, England

Volume 12 | February 2015 www.reginamag.com Regina Magazine

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Editorial Editor

Special Thanks

Photography

Webmaster

Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest Priestly Fraternity of St Peter Lorraine Marie Photography

Mater Dei Parish Ann Whelan Fr Jeffery Keyes Harry Stevens Teresa Limjoco Beverly De Soto Michael Durnan Thomas Tonelli John R Symons Jan Peddie Pauline Donigan Steve Billington Dominic Wong Dominic Lee James Berry Lorraine Truty Marie-Line Burguiere Paul Pagano

Beverly De Soto Jim Bryant

Writers

Bridget Green Donna Sue Berry Meghan Ferrara Michael Durnan Ed Masters Estella Young David Campos Beverly De Soto Designer Helen Stead

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Contents 26

The Catholic Parish as Home.............................................. 04

Setting the Standard

The Dome of Home..............................................................06 Street Cred.............................................................................22 Setting the Standard.............................................................26

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The Parish in Oklahoma’s Oil Fields...................................46 The Flourishing of Sainte Cecile.........................................54

The Flourishing of Sainte Cecile

The Odyssey of Mater Dei...................................................70 St. Stanislaus: The Revival of a Landmark..........................82 The Long & Winding Road to St Josephs’s........................96

70 The Odyssey of Mater Dei

The E-book Revolution.......................................................112 Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day................................................118 Sunday Dinner with Father Keyes.....................................134 Real Women’s Voices.........................................................152 The Oxford Oratory............................................................160 Sleepy Hollow.....................................................................174

218 Campus Rebellion

Three Deacons Speak........................................................182 They Have a Dream............................................................198 In the South of France........................................................212 Campus Rebellion..............................................................218

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Photo credit: Marie-Line Burguiere

The Catholic Parish as Home Ever wonder why non-practicing Catholics will seek out a parish to be married, to baptize a baby or to bury their dead?

Such is the power of parishes; they are our spiritual homes In this issue, Regina Magazine showcases amazing parishes on three continents. What makes them amazing?

Youthful, orthodox, well-educated priests. Reverent Masses filled to overflowing with families and singles of all ages. Religious education programs where the true Faith is taught. A boom in religious vocations.

These parishes are also amazing because they regularly welcome converts from other faiths, and reverts finding their 4

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way home. In these parishes, Catholics contribute their time, treasure and talent to restoring old buildings and building anew. They gather after Mass for fellowship. They form book clubs, thriving homeschooling communities, youth groups, young adult ministries, groups for widows and widowers -and lifelong friendships. They inspire and support family businesses and a whole new generation of young men and women with religious vocations, and callings to family life.

These parishes are our life’s blood.

Here, the faithful unburden themselves at regular Confession, hear Mass on Sunday and feast days, meet and marry, baptize their children, seek solace in the hard times and share their joy in good times. In these parishes, parents and grandparents feel that their children are safe, and the future of the Faith in their families can be entrusted.

Amazing parishes attract people from all walks of life, at every income and education level and from every race,

REGINA color and origin of a Catholicism now flung far around the globe. And these parishes are everywhere. In some of the world’s most sophisticated academic towns. In famous cities and simple country towns. In blighted urban neighborhoods and vast impersonal suburbs.

Wherever they may be, these are parishes so critical to the spiritual wellbeing of Catholics that people will travel and sacrifice to make them the center of their lives.

Moreover, the success of these amazing parishes flies in the face of today’s conventional wisdom about an aging – and some say Arian – Church.

These parishes are the seeds of the real ‘springtime’ of the Church that so many have spoken of, and longed for.

To understand why, it is necessary to understand the origins of the parish as the basic building block of Christian civilization. For this, we must travel in time, back into the Dark Ages.

Most Catholics don’t know this, but the parish was actually created by St. Martin of Tours in the 400s. The Saint – a former Roman soldier ordained a bishop in those dark days of the twilight of the Roman Empire – was constantly traveling throughout Gaul, braving the dangerous, unpoliced and deteriorating roads to visit villages and out-of-the-way places in his vast territory.

This was perilous work, which Martin dared attempt only as the Faith was in great danger. As the Roman Army and the civilization it protected withdrew, these remote places had reverted to barbarism.

Learning declined precipitously, as the peaceful conditions necessary to establish schools evaporated. The Sacraments disappeared, and along with them Christian civilization.

Necromancers and soothsayers appeared.

Marriage declined.

Tribalism flourished. The rule of the sword prevailed.

A thick blanket of darkness and

ignorance descended over Europe.

Today’s archaeologists and historians are now – more than 1500 years later -- beginning to understand what happened, using modern scientific techniques.

I recently interviewed a German archaeologist investigating an ancient Roman farmhouse discovered under a building site near Wiesbaden, Germany. Like most others, it was charred, having been deliberately burnt to the ground in the early 500s.

“Who did this?” I asked.

“Barbarians,” he shrugged. “Possibly nomads, who encountered the deserted farmhouse long after its owners had fled.”

“So why burn it down?” I asked, confused. “Seems like a ready-built house would be a welcome find to

“The parish is the basic building block of Christian civilization” homeless wanderers.”

“We actually don’t know why,” he replied. “Some speculate that these people were superstitious, and permanent buildings frightened them because they believed they were haunted by evil spirits. In any case, it is common to find these all over middle Europe. We also often find nearby hoards of silver coins from these late Roman times. Their owners buried them in haste, fleeing from attacks.”

Barbarism. Superstition. Magic.

Isolated villages which had reverted to hunting and gathering, subsistence economies, as the knowledge of sophisticated agriculture disappeared within a few generations of the

Romans’ departure. These were the conditions outside of the established towns with Sees at the time of St. Martin.

Now we can begin to understand why Martin was one of those ‘intolerant’ Christians whom today’s revisionist pseudo-historians – ignorant of the actual conditions of late antiquity -love to condemn.

Yes, Martin destroyed pagan places of worship. Not because he was ‘intolerant’ of religious ‘diversity,’ but because they were evil locales of dark rites. Temple prostitution. Bloody sacrifices of animals. Even human sacrifice was not unknown.

Martin replaced these blood-stained places of ignorance and terror with parishes centered on the Eucharist and the bloodless Sacrifice of the Mass.

In these, the Christians could take refuge in the Sacraments. Soon, religious vocations emerged, and the beginnings of Western monasticism.

Over the ensuing centuries, the monasteries gradually terraformed the land, engineering and planting, and civilizing Europe with the Faith.

Truly, it was from Martin’s parishes that the slow, painful re-building commenced, which ultimately bequeathed to the world the Christendom which would reach such dizzying heights in the centuries to come.

Such is the power of parishes. In a modern world with danger and ignorance no less than in Martin’s day, Catholics need their parishes.

And whether we know it or not, we all contain within us the seed of Christendom. It requires only a good parish for it to blossom and yield good fruit – for ourselves and our posterity.

Enjoy ‘The Secret Catholic Insider Guide to Amazing Parishes.’

Beverly De Soto Wiesbaden, Germany February 2015

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The

Dome of

Home

A Beacon of Hope For England’s Catholics 6

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Article By:

Michael Durnan

Photo Credit:

Jan Peddie Pauline Donigan​ Steve Billington John East

~ VIEW FROM A LEAKY ROOF: In 2012, the most pressing concern was the roof which was leaking rainwater copiously into the main body of the church; however, there were no funds available to carry out the essential repairs.

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THE DOME OF HOME IS THE VISION AND CREATION OF FATHER THOMAS MULLINS, inspired by the beautiful design of ‘The Estrela,’ or Basilica of The Sacred Heart in Lisbon, Portugal, whilst a seminarian at the English College there in the early 20th Century.

T

he church of Ss. Peter, Paul and Philomena stands overlooking the faded seaside resort of New Brighton located at the head of the Wirral Peninsula in northwest England. With its handsome classical cupola high above the transept, and standing atop a steep hill facing the sea, the church’s distinctive and recognisable profile is clearly visible from a great distance.

Safe from Nazi U-Boat Attacks

U-boat attack once the distinctive dome of the church was visible to It was returning relieved and grate- the naked eye. Only then, would ful sailors who ‘christened’ the they know they, and their precious church ‘The Dome of Home’. Dur- cargo, were safe and sound after ing World War Two, British mer- their perilous journey home to the chant seamen, serving in Atlantic Port of Liverpool on the opposite convoys bringing essential supplies bank of the River Mersey. from the USA and Canada, would know they were secure from the Inspired by the Beautiful Star of ever-present threat of German Lisbon 8

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The Dome of Home was very much the vision and creation of Fr. Thomas Mullins who had been inspired by the beautiful design of The Estrela, or Basilica of The Sacred Heart in Lisbon, Portugal, whilst he was a seminarian at the English College there. His parish church of Ss. Peter, Paul and Philomena was finally opened in August 1935.

NO FUNDS AVAILABLE: The parish THE DOME OF HOME IS THE VISION AND church continued to THOMAS serve theMULLINS, inCREATION OF FATHER spired by the beautiful design of until ‘The Estrela,’ parishioners of New Brighton 2008 or Basilica Theforced Sacredto Heart Lisbon, Portugal, when itof was closeinbecause of whilst a seminarian at the English College costly essential repairs for which therethere in the no early 20thavailable.

Century. were funds

“The condition of the building had deteriorated even further as the result of the leaking roof” The future for this impressive landmark church looked bleak until 2011 when the present Bishop of Shrewsbury, + Mark Davies, made the courageous and imaginative decision establish The Dome of Home as a Shrine Church and to invite the Institute of Christ The King, Sovereign Priest (ICKSP) to take responsibility for its pastoral care.

Leaky Building, Moribund Faith

ing the Dome was fit to use, Canon Meney had to establish the sacAlthough The Dome of Home had ramental and liturgical life of the been closed for only three years, Shrine according to the Traditional the condition of the building had Latin Rite and to build up the condeteriorated even further as the gregation. In all of this he made result of the leaking roof which great progress, so by the time that caused considerable damage to the the present Rector, Canon Amaury interior. It fell to Canon Meney, Montjean, arrived just 12 months the first Rector of the new Shrine later in 2012, the Dome of Home Church, to ensure The Dome was had been established as a working made ready for use. Besides ensur- Shrine Church.

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During World War Two, British merchant seamen, serving in Atlantic convoys bringing essential supplies from the USA and Canada, would know they were secure from the ever-present threat of German U-boat attack once the distinctive dome of the church was visible to the naked eye.

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EVERY FORTNIGHT THE DOME HOLDS CATECHISM CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE; there’s a full day of continuous Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament every first Thursday of the month and a Youth Group and Formation Group for married couples.

As I discovered from Canon Montjean, when I met him recently at the Dome, there is still much work to be done to secure the long-term future of this impressive church.

For Canon Montjean, the main goal on his arrival was simple, “to keep the Shrine open!”

Canon Montjean had been fully briefed by Canon Meney as to the progress that had been made but 12

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also the enormous amount of work that still needed to be undertaken.

Firstly, the most pressing concern was the roof which was still leaking copious amounts of rainwater into the main body of the church causing damage to interior, but there were no funds available to carry out the essential repairs necessary.

He also knew that the continuation and development of the sacramen-

tal and prayer life of The Dome was essential to the success of the more practical and worldly concerns. He needed to ensure that daily Mass, Confession and other devotions and liturgies were celebrated so to enable the growth of the congregation and faith life of The Shrine, as well as promote and publicise The Dome to visitors and pilgrims.

Healing the Building, Building the Faith Since his arrival in 2011, Canon Montjean, supported by The Restoration Committee and many others, has made a great deal of progress both to the church building and the faith life of the shrine.

Repairs have been made to the leaking roof and west wall of the

“The main goal on his arrival was to keep the shrine open�

nave; a new Dome of Home website has been established; an impressive and sumptuous new guide book has been printed with over 1000 copies having been distributed to the public; and guided tours of The Dome by volunteers are now a regular occurrence.

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STANDING ROOM ONLY FOR THE INAUGURAL MASS of the newly-reopened Dome of Home in 2011.

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The future for this impressive landmark church looked bleak until 2011 when the present Bishop of Shrewsbury, + Mark Davies, made the courageous and imaginative decision to establish The Dome of Home as a Shrine Church and to invite the Institute of Christ The King, Sovereign Priest (ICKSP) to take responsibility for its pastoral care.

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The Dome of Home

THERE IS A NEWLY ESTABLISHED CHOIR SINGING PLAINCHANT at the Dome’s weekly Sunday High Mass and notable feast days.

THE CONTINUATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE SACRAMENTAL AND PRAYER LIFE OF THE DOME remains essential to the success of the more practical concerns.

The Laity Step Up to the Plate

Anne Archer, a former parishioner in pre-Shine days, but now an enThe involvement of the wider local thusiastic and committed attendee community has also been a goal of the Shrine, who also sings in the and priority in the development of choir and is heavily involved with the Dome as a Shrine Church open the recently established Shrine Resto the public every day from 8am toration Committee. Anne shared to 8pm. The Shrine has been able her experiences of her involvement to secure much-needed money with The Shrine, most notably her from The Heritage Lottery Fund, work with The Shrine Restoration and other sources, through the Committee which helps to overdedicated work of The Shrine Res- see the repair and restoration of toration Committee.

The Shrine, especially securing As well as meeting Canon Mont- the much-needed funding. Anne jean, I had the pleasure to meet with explained to me that, “The initial

fundraising was urgently directed towards the considerable start-up costs that were needed to transform The Dome, after its long closure and neglect, into a fitting and usable place of worship and prayer; some things were missing or damaged, so needed repair or replacing. This proved a great challenge for the small, but growing congregation, but with people’s generosity, effort and prayer, this goal was achieved. Getting started and putting down roots really took time and effort!”

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THE COMMITTEE ALSO PROMOTES THE DOME AS A PLACE OF PILGRIMAGE and as a visitor attraction and develops links with the local community, including civic bodies and dignitaries.

GOD WILL PROVIDE: It seems whenever the Dome team arrive at a new phase in the restoration project or encounter challenges and problems, the right people ‘providentially appear from nowhere,’ offering practical help, skills, knowledge, advice and even large monetary donations.

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The Dome of Home

PRESENT AND PAST MAYORS AND MAYORESSES WERE INVITED TO THE DOME to see the results of the first restoration project, to take a guided tour of the Dome and meet with volunteers who have done so much to support and promote the Dome of Home as a Shrine Church.

MANY NON-CATHOLICS HAVE ALSO GIVEN THEIR SUPPORT TO THE DOME and some of those who have come to The Dome as curious visitors, or to offer their help, have been impressed and moved, not only by the beauty and glory of The Dome as an architectural gem, but also with the faith and spiritual riches they have discovered there. This has led some to seek instruction in the Catholic Faith.

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“They are building something really special at the Dome of Home” The Workings of Providence Anne remarked that, “Whenever we embarked on a new phase in The Dome restoration project, or encountered challenges and problems, the right people would providentially appear from nowhere!” with offers of practical help, skills, knowledge, advice and even large monetary donations. For example, during the winter of 2011-12, there was no heating in The Dome of Home, necessitating that the boilers be overhauled at considerable expense. By a remarkable coincidence, Anne reported with a smile, in that same week, a donation of similar size was made which providentially covered the cost.

Next Steps There is still much to be done with the building restoration of the Dome of Home, but the most significant restoration of this remarkable landmark church by the Institute has been that of its life as a vibrant and vigorous place of Catholic worship.

A young university undergraduate student I encountered, has visited the Dome of Home on several occasions.

“Canon Montjean and the Institute of Christ The King, Sovereign Priest are building something really special at the Dome of Home,” he told me.

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JUST AS THE DOME OF HOME HAD ONCE BEEN A REASSURING SYMBOL OF SAFETY AND HOPE for merchant seamen returning from their dangerous transatlantic wartime voyages, it has now become, in the words of Bishop Mark Davies, ‘A Beacon of Hope!’ for the Faith in England. Long may it continue to shine its kindly light over The Wirral and its people.

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STREET CRED As Catholics, what’s our ‘street cred’?

Essay By:

Edmund Adamus In the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, “The Joy of the Gospel,” Pope Francis discusses our credibility – specifically, how we are perceived by the unchurched and those with no faith. Much depends, he says, on the ‘openness and missionary creativity of the pastor and the community.’ The Holy Father calls on the local parish to be the Church ‘living in the midst of the homes of her sons and daughters.’

Parishes have to prove ‘capable of selfrenewal and constant adaptivity.’ A parish must be, ‘really in contact with the homes and the lives of its people.’

within our own four walls.

Therefore, if as parish community we are to set out on a new and exciting journey of evangelisation to the wider community, we must first of all recognize that the parish in and of itself is ‘certainly not the only institution which evangelizes.’

The new evangelization begins with me and you and our unique personal relationship with the Lord.

In Evangelii Gaudium, the Holy Father lays out for us a very simple yet radical ‘spiritual programme’: he invites us all to “a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ.”

the dignity bestowed upon us by this boundless and unfailing love. With a tenderness which never disappoints, but is always capable of restoring our joy, he makes it possible for us to lift up our heads and to start anew.”

Not ‘a useless structure out of touch with people’

The Key to Joy

St. John Paul II, too, passionately encouraged the world not to be afraid of Christ, since Christ alone knows what is in every man. Who can forget his words of his first homily as the Successor of St. Peter?

“Our time invites us, pushes us, obligates us to look to the Lord, and to plunge into a humble and devout meditation on the mystery of the supreme power of Christ himself. […] Do not be afraid! Open, open wide the doors to Christ! […] allow—I beg you, I implore with humility and confidence—allow Christ to speak. Christ alone has words of life, yes, of eternal life.”

Yet in order to ‘up our game’ our parishes -- which include our schools -- must seek a fresh focus of thinking and energy on the absolute centrality of family life and its vitality. This in order to prevent what Pope Francis describes as the parish being ‘a useless structure out of touch with people.’

We all want and expect the parish to be a welcoming, loving and Christcentred place of forgiveness. And our model for this Spirit must always be the quality of the relationships 22

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This is the key to the joy which the Good News has to offer to each and every one of us: “The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus”. This is what transforms our hearts and lives and helps us become true disciples. It is the joy of knowing that we are loved

by Christ with a love which surpasses all understanding (Ephesians 4:19) and which alone can and does satisfy: “Time and time again he bears us on his shoulders. No one can strip us of

Pope Francis’s invitation to a personal encounter with the Lord is certainly not novel. It echoes in fact Christ’s own invitation to go to Him in order to find rest (Matthew 11:28), to deny ourselves, pick up our crosses and follow Him (Matthew 16:24), knowing that our sorrow will turn into joy (John 16:20).

Edmund Adamus at Westminster Cathedral, London

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Street Cred

“Ideally as Christians we first learn the reality of this unconditional love of God in the home -- and by extension in our parish.”

Francis on Benedict Pope Francis never tires of “repeating those words of Benedict XVI which take us to the very heart of the Gospel: ‘Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.’

The pope sees the Christian life as being based on knowing and experiencing personally God’s love, mercy and salvation offered to all through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The only path that brings us to a joy that is ever new is the path of personal holiness, the path of true interior conversion of heart, the path of total commitment to the truth of the Gospel, the path of surrender, of willingly entering into and generously cultivating the personal relationship with Christ initially bestowed upon us in Baptism.

Only the one who has allowed Christ to touch deeply and transform one’s life wishes to ‘boast’ like St. Paul in nothing else except the Cross. Only the one who has experienced God’s mercy and who constantly and humbly asks for and depends on God’s 24

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grace can desire sincerely to reach out to others and to proclaim the goodness of the Lord with an ever-fervent faith and love.

Family – Primary Agent of Evangelisation Ideally as Christians we first learn the reality of this unconditional love of God in the home -- and by extension in our parish.

So it will be crucial to our future life as parishes to “favour reciprocal knowledge so that the parish community increasingly becomes a family of families, able to share with each other, not only the joys but the inevitable difficulties of initiating family life.”

The poet Thomas Moore said; ‘the ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest.’

So let us take deeply to heart the words of the great pope of the family, St. John Paul II, ‘no one is without a family in this world: the Church is a home and family for everyone, especially those who “labour and are heavy laden.”’

Whatever Happens at the Synod Whatever the outcomes of the current synodal process on the family -- in particular matrimony and spouses as the primary agents of evangelization -- the bottom line for all of us is simple.

It’s best reflected in the synergy of two key teachings of the great pope of the family, John Paul II: “Jesus Christ, is the centre of the universe and of history” and “It is not permissible for anyone to remain idle.”

Think about those two lines, especially this Lent. How does your family and especially how does your parish concretely support authentic Catholic marriage and family? Then -- act! •

Edmund Adamus is Director for Marriage & Family Life for the Archdiocese of Westminster, England. He has pioneered a number of successful marriage preparation, matrimonial enrichment and Catholic parenting resources imbued with St. John Paul II’s theology of the body.

www.VeilsbyLily.com

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Setting the Standard

Chicago’s St John Cantius Parish Article By:

Donna Sue Berry

Photo Credit:

St John Cantius Parish

R

ecipe for success: Take one nearly-abandoned, formerly Polish-Catholic neighborhood in a troubled American big city. Add a decrepit 19th century church building, with ten tons of pigeon droppings in its attic. Mix in a brandnew community of priests and brothers dedicated to helping Catholics rediscover a profound sense of the sacred – and voila! Less than 20 years later, you have a thriving parish exploding with vitality.

Seems unlikely? Ah, ye of little faith! You must 26

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have a look at what the Spirit hath wrought at St John Cantius parish in Chicago in this exclusive REGINA Magazine interview with Father C. Frank Phillips, C.R.(Congregation of the Resurrection).

Father Phillips is the founder of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius in 1998, under then-Cardinal Francis George. Canons, originally groups of clerics gathered around a local bishop, were an ancient phenomenon and theirs is the oldest form of clerical religious life in the West. Ever since, this

community of priests and brothers has grown, opening new apostolates and attracting many young vocations.

REGINA: Father Phillips, what was the neighborhood like around St John Cantius in the late 1990s?

When I arrived at St. John’s, the neighborhood was mostly industrial. From a thriving compact neighborhood with many families, due to the

construction of the highway and neighborhood change, our area was desolate. There were just a handful of old time parishioners left in the immediate area around the church, but mainly empty lots and industrial buildings.

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EXPLAINING THE FAITH TO ARCHITECTURE FANS: A Canon conducts a tour of St. John Cantius for the curious and the art-inspired on Chicago Open House Day 2013.

REGINA: What was the size of your parish when you began?

When I took over we had less than 200 registered individuals and few of those came on Sunday. At two Sunday Masses we may have had a total of 75 people on a good Sunday.

REGINA: What is it today?

Now we have over 2000 registered. When I arrived there was one child in the congregation. Now there are hundreds. We have large families, and the membership is mostly young—in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s plus naturally a number of more seasoned and mature members.

REGINA: Where does St John Cantius’s congregation come from?​ From the very foundation our parish was “non-territorial” so we drew people from every corner of the city, due to the Polish heritage. Today we continue to draw from all over the city and suburbs as well as 28

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Indiana, Wisconsin and at times even Michigan. This is because of the Mass offered in the Extraordinary Form as well as the Ordinary Form in Latin and the treasury of use of Liturgical Music.

REGINA: What was the condition of the church when you arrived?

Upon my arrival I realized that the physical fabric of the buildings had been neglected for over 60 years -‘deferred maintenance’ is what they call it. In other words, just put a Bandaid on it and duct tape to see how long it will last. In the church some thirteen radiators had been removed rather than repaired.

The boilers ran 24/7 in the winter. They had not been maintained, or cleaned. The chimney had not been cleaned in over 90 years. The stained glass windows were ready to collapse, and ten tons of pigeon droppings were in the attic of the church. Anyway the place survived.

FOUNDED BY POLISH IMMIGRANTS AT THE END OF THE 19TH CENTURY, St John Cantius parish today represents a broad cross-section of every ethnic, socio-economic and age group.

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Setting the Standard

CATHOLIC CULTURE: “St. John Cantius has that unique Catholic culture that makes me come back every Sunday and makes me want to give everything that I have to the parish.� Joseph Ravago, parishioner.

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NEW VOCATIONS TO THE CANONS REGULAR OF ST. JOHN CANTIUS: On December 23, 2014, the feast of St. John Cantius, at Solemn Vespers, four novices received the Rosary, collar, and sash of the Habit of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius: Br. Joseph Brom, Br. Joseph Janidlo, Br. Quinn Huston, and Br. Daniel Mikołajewski.

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Setting the Standard

YOUNG CATHOLICS: A big cro Cantius to the Washington Ma 32

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owd came from St John arch for Life, 2015

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A WHOLE NEW GENERATION OF CATHOLICS is growing up with the Faith at St John Cantius in the heart of Chicago.

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Setting the Standard

(Above) CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION 2014: “As our charism, the ‘restoration of the sacred’ points out, sacred beauty draws us into the mystery of our Faith. That is the beauty of the building, sacred music, vesture, ceremonies, etc.” Fr. Phillips (Right) A YOUNG PARISHIONER on the steps of St. John Cantius, decorated for the Feast of Corpus Christi, 2014.

REGINA: Are you finding that the young are attracted to the TLM? The young are attracted to the TLM. As they did not grow up with the Traditional Mass, this “new experience” has confirmed them in the practice of the Faith.

REGINA: Are you also attracting converts?

The TLM is also a source of conversions to the Catholic Faith. I have had Baptisms, Lutherans, Agnostics, Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims make the leap of faith to the Faith.

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One individual told me that when he entered our church, he was struck by the beauty, the fragrance of incense, the music and “what was going on in the front” -- the altar, the priest and servers etc. He said that he fell to his knees and just began to cry.

For more information contact: 825 N. Carpenter St. Chicago, IL 60642 (312) 243-7373 http://www.cantius.org/

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Setting the Standard

LEARNING AT ST JOHN CANTIUS: The Canons Regular offer online multimedia tutorials for the celebration of the liturgy of the Roman Rite at www.sanctamissa.org

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10:23 am Sunday m

Maintaining web content and social m business is the last thing you should b

morning.

media for your small be thinking about.

Let us Engage your clients online.

• Editing, writing • Blogs, website texts, articles • Social media

The Parish in

Oklahom Oil Fields

Five Year Old St. Damien of Molokai is ‘

By Donna Sue Berry 42

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ma’s

‘Full to the Brim’ with Catholics

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WITH THE PARISH HALL COMPLETED AND DEDICATED, it serves as the temporary church until funds can be raised to build the more beautiful church proper.

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Regina Magazine | Amazing Parishes

“First Communion and Confirmation classes are full to the brim this spring, and there are a number of vocations to the priesthood and the religious life which have arisen from parish families.”

Thriving Catholic parishes can be found in the most unlikely places – including smack dab in the middle of an Oklahoma oil field.

The first Catholic clergy to set foot in what would become Oklahoma were Benedictine Monks from the Pierre-qui-Vire monastery in France. In October 1875, these hardy Frenchmen settled in Atoka, Indian Territory, to establish the Sacred Heart Abbey, a mission church and school. The Sisters of Mercy from Ireland would soon arrive to work alongside these monks at this pioneering mission.

In 1889, President Benjamin Harrison designated April 22nd as the day for the ‘Homestead Run’ where three million acres of western land would open up for settlement, eventually creating “Oklahoma”.

Two months after the famous land run, the Catholic Church of Saint John the Baptist was completed in the town of Edmond on the Feast of Saint John the Baptist, June 24th. It was Oklahoma’s first church, the first Catholic Church in Edmond and it was solemnly consecrated with a Traditional Latin Mass. Edmond’s second Catholic church, St Monica’s was consecrated in 1992.

the Latin Mass community in Topeka, Kansas and then later from St. Peter in Tulsa. But as interest in the Extraordinary Rite grew, a small community began to gather around the Mass at a chapel in Oklahoma City.

The Most Reverend Eusebius J. Beltran, Archbishop of Oklahoma City and the FSSP superiors all saw the need to build a larger parish complex to accommodate this growth. Property was found and purchased in Edmond, and on All Souls Day, November 2nd, 2009, Father Howard Remski, FSSP, said Mass and ground was broken to build the new church.

Archbishop Beltran gave his support and blessing by naming the future Church ‘St. Damien of Molokai.’

(Damien de Veuster was canonized a saint in Rome early in 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI.) Fully Organized and Working in the New Parish Hall

How the Latin Mass Came to the Oil Fields

With the parish hall completed and dedicated, it serves as the temporary church until funds can be raised to build the more beautiful church proper. There are classrooms and a fully functional kitchen and space in the hall to hold dinners and other events. Plans are to have the church completed within ten years.

Fast forward 121 years to October 1st, 2010, and Edmond would again experience the consecration of a new Catholic Church, Saint Damien of Molokai, with a Traditional Latin Mass. Served by priests of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), the parish is set out on the prairie in the midst of Oklahoma’s famed oilfields.

It was in 1993 when priests of the Fraternity began serving Catholics in the Oklahoma City area, commuting weekly at first as a Sundays-only mission from

In the interim, Saint Damien’s is a fully organized and working Catholic parish with Fr. Joseph Portzer, FSSP, pastor and his assistant pastor, Fr. Robert Dow, FSSP. First Communion and Confirmation classes are full to the brim with children preparing for the Sacraments this spring, and there are a number of vocations to the priesthood and the religious life which have arisen from parish families. Catechism classes, Altar Society, Choir, and the Hospitality Committee help to serve the needs of the parishioners.

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CATECHISM CLASSES, ALTAR SOCIETY, CHOIR, AND THE HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE help to serve the needs of the parishioners of Saint Damien’s.

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CATECHISM CLASSES, ALTAR SOCIETY, CHOIR, AND THE HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE help to serve the needs of the parishioners of Saint Damien’s.

One new addition to Saint Damien’s is the Federation of North American Explorers (FNE). According to parishioner Evy Brown, “The purpose of the Federation of North-American Explorers is to save souls.

The FNE is a formation movement helping children to live out their Catholic faith through hands-on experiences and to serve with passion. The adult leadership is made up purely of volunteers who seek to serve the youth. Morning Star FNE debuted at St. Damien of Molokai in May of 2014 with an astounding 35 members, and is currently at 47.”

Two organizations which meet at the church, though not a parish activities per se, are the St. John Bosco Institute and the St. Patrick Homeschool Association 48

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“The laity want to live their Catholic faith and raise the next generation well, so we have many things for young people to do”

The Parish in Oklahoma’s Oil Fields

When asked about his parish, Fr. Joseph Portzer responded, “St. Damien’s is a unique place. Most of the parishioners come from Edmond or Oklahoma City, but it is located in the country. So many good things are happening here with various groups springing up in the parish. The laity want to live their Catholic faith and raise the next generation well, and so we have many things for young people to do, and that gets their parents involved as well. My overall goal is to keep Jesus Christ at the center of parish life and make sure each activity helps us to live our calling to follow Him. It is a very enjoyable parish to work.” •

For more information contact: St Damien of Molokai 8455 NW 234th Street Edmond, OK 73013 www.stdamiens.org

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The Flourishing of Sainte Cecile Interview by Meghan Ferrara Photos by Teresa Limjoco

“MY MAJOR JOY HAS BEEN THE NUMBER OF RELIGIOUS AND PRIESTLY VOCATIONS from the young parishioners who attend the Traditional Latin Mass. Most of them began their calling as altar servers. There have been at least two vocations every year for several decades,” explains Abbé Iborra.

N

estled in the heart of Paris, the parish of Ste. Eugène/Ste. Cecile maintains a special place in French Catholicism. The church’s renowned Schola is a defining aspect of the parish and has set the standard for liturgical music in France and around the world. Under the careful guardianship of Abbé Eric Iborra, the parish is now a flourishing Catholic community. They are protecting their heritage from the past and looking forward to a bright and lasting future sharing their gifts with the rest of the Church.

Recently, Abbé Iborra spoke with REGINA Magazine about this unique congregation.

REGINA: Father, what is your formation and background?

How long have you been at St. Eugène?

E.I.: In college, I studied law, economics and political science. I then joined the diocesan seminary in Paris and I studied philosophy at the Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium) and theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. I first served for seven years at a parish in Paris, then for ten years as a chaplain in a hospital. In 2007, I moved to my present position at St Eugène. In order to serve in this “bi-form” parish I learned the old Latin mass in a Benedictine monastery in Triors.

REGINA: How did you find the parish when you arrived?

E.I.: I found the community rather divided over the former parish priest who was not well-liked by the more traditional congregations.

REGINA: Has the parish grown since that time?

E.I.: The new parish priest worked diligently to restore a better ambiance in the community. The two parts (the Novus Ordo mass in French and the Traditional Latin mass) of the parish have a much easier relationship with each other. Two initiatives that are shared by both sides of the parish are pilgrimages, and charity events.

We celebrate two Masses, one in each form, on Sunday and on weekdays.

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THE CHURCH OF STE. CECILE/STE EUGENE is 19th century neo-Gothic, one of the first constructed with steel beams. It is owned by to the City of Paris, which considers it a landmark.

LEAVING SUNDAY MASS IN THE HEART OF PARIS: In the center of what many would consider a world capital of aggressive secularism, the parish of Ste Cecile/Ste Eugene attracts young and old, from every walk of life.

The Flourishing of Sainte Cecile

SCHOLA DIRECTOR HENRI DE VILLIERS (Left) AND ABBÉ IBORRA CHAT WITH A PARISHIONER outside Ste Cecile after Mass. “In 2007, I moved to my present position at St Eugène. In order to serve in this “bi-form” parish I learned the old Latin mass in a Benedictine monastery in Triors,” explains Abbé Iborra.

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MANY YOUNG CATHOLICS AND CONVERTS FIND THEIR WAY TO SAINTE CECILE in the heart of Paris’s Right Bank, attracted by the Traditional Latin Mass.

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SOCIALIZING AFTER MASS: Parishioners at Ste Cecile share a chat after the Traditional Latin Mass there.

The parish draws people from all over Paris and its suburbs.

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THE ABBE WEARS HIS SOUTANE ON PARIS CITY STREETS: Once a common sight everywhere in France, now rarely seen.

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The Flourishing of Sainte Cecile

FRANCE 2014 Schola Sainte Sainte Cécile MOVIE – FRANCE 2014 Schola Cécile MOVIE L’Eglise Saint-Eugène-Sainte Cécile, Paris REGINA: What do you find is key to the spiritual growth of the parish?

E.I.: The liturgy and preaching, I dare say.

REGINA: What activities do you offer in support of the parish?

E.I.: We offer catechism classes for both children and adults. Several of the adult participants are preparing for Baptism or Confirmation. In addition, I teach an Alpha course in church history. We also invite parishioners to pilgrimages, conferences, and charities

“Being an example of Christ’s love to all mankind toward everyone they meet”

REGINA: Looking back, what have been your principle challenges?

REGINA: What advice would you offer to priests and parishioners who are just starting out on the road you have come so far on?

E.I.: My principal challenge has been uniting both parts of the parish, living charity even when liturgical choices are not the same. Another challenge has been managing a parish in a city quarter where few Catholics live. Many of them commute from elsewhere.

E.I.: I would advise them to be rooted in Christ and His teachings. I would also recommend giving priority to the liturgy and, of course, being an example of Christ’s love to all mankind toward everyone they meet. •

THE FACT THAT THE CHURCH IS OWNED BY A SECULAR AUTHORITY -- THE CITY OF PARIS -- has protected this beautiful landmark from the mid-20th century ‘modernization’ which destroyed so many French churches.

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ONE THING THAT WE ARE NOT SHORT ON AT MATER DEI is children. We have so many couples that have been blessed with many.

Plus we have lots of young couples who are open to life and ready to start, or starting, their own families.

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The Odyssey of Mater Dei

By Donna Sue Berry

An inteview with Regina Magazine about the amazing journey of Mater Dei

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n 1988 Saint Pope John Paul II founded the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP) as a society of apostolic life. The Fraternity has as its apostolate the training of men for service as Catholic priests and the pastoral care of souls.

Their particular charism is the celebration of the Mass and the administration of the sacraments according to the traditional Roman Rite.

The FSSP’s first apostolate in North America was established in Dallas in 1991, which became the Mater Dei Latin Mass Community and eventually Mater Dei Parish. Recently, parishioners Mike Drake and Cheryl Truty, and Music Director Kimberly Walters spoke with REGINA Magazine about the amazing odyssey of Mater Dei.

“Our Tridentines”.

The children used to run to the turn after Holy Mass and ring the bell for the Sisters to come, begging for prayers or to tell the Sisters all of the happenings in their lives. The Sisters in turn would give them Holy Cards and little trinkets. When someone would make their First Holy Communion they would make punch and cookies and put them in the turn for us to enjoy.

This close friendship with the Nuns would last over 17 REGINA: Can you tell us how Mater Dei Parish years! It was so difficult for us to leave them and for came about? them to lose all of the activity our community brought to their lives. We truly love each other very much! MaAt the outset of its 23-year (and counting) pilgrimage, ter Dei parishioners collect food for the Carmelites on the Mater Dei Community was authorized to have Easter and Christmas and we do food drives throughSunday Mass and confessions at St. Jude Chapel in out the year as needed. The Carmelites live solely on downtown Dallas, and daily Mass at Christ the King donations. Our parishioners are very generous.

Parish. Although meager in scope, this opportunity again to have the traditional Mass in Dallas was cherREGINA: How did Mater Dei Parish become a ished by the delighted souls who came regularly from reality? around the Diocese.

No other facilities were made available to the commuSince virtually Day One, the Mater Dei Community nity for about a year, yet the community continued hoped for, prayed for and worked with great anticipato grow. After that year the Mass location moved to tion toward acquiring its own church in order to be a the chapel of the Carmelite Nuns in Dallas, where the full-fledged parish. Aside from the desire to increase community was finally able to meet together over cofthe presence of the traditional Mass in Dallas, this fee and donuts after Mass aspiration was also driven by the fact that the community from its inception was only permitted to have REGINA: We understand that the Nuns at the CarMass and confessions (no other sacraments), and this melite Monastery of the Infant Jesus of Prague and restriction lasted for 18 years.

St. Joseph played a huge part in Mater Dei’s growth?

In early 1999 it became clear that Mass attendance was so consistently overflowing at both Sunday Masses How can we even begin to tell you how grateful we that a larger location was truly needed. A relocation are to the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Dallas? They committee proposed that we look into sharing church not only allowed us to use their chapel but they prospace with one of the parishes in the Dallas diocese, vided flowers, candles, use of the grounds for feasts, if this were amenable to all parties. The chancery ofetc. Mother Celine and Mother Ann Christine always fice gave its nod to the proposal, but accommodations felt the Extraordinary Form of the Mass was a blessing were never able to be adequately negotiated with a and welcomed us with open arms! They allowed us to diocesan parish. save for our future church buildings and most importantly prayed unceasingly for our parish. They call us

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“With time, Bishop Farrell recognized the need as consistent and growing ever stronger�

In spite of continued overflowing conditions at the Carmelite chapel -- many attended Mass standing outside the chapel -- no other significant initiatives were undertaken until late summer of 2008. Not long after Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Kevin Farrell as bishop of Dallas in March of 2007, the Mater Dei chaplain, Father Joseph Terra, brought the crowded conditions at the chapel to his attention. With time, Bishop Farrell recognized the need as consistent and growing ever stronger, and he authorized Father Terra to begin searching for an actual church building for Mater Dei. After a number of possible church buildings were identified and researched, Bishop Farrell gave Father Terra the green light to actively plan for the purchase of a church property by the Mater Dei Community in the spring of 2009.

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Parochial Vicar Fr. Phil Wolfe, FSSP, Parochial Vicar Fr. Terrence Gordon, FSSP and Pastor Fr. Thomas Longua, FSSP of Mater Dei Parish.

REGINA: At that point, it had taken 18 years to receive permission to buy a church building.

Then what happened?

Upon his appointment to an alternate FSSP apostolate, Father Terra handed the reins and the Mater Dei chaplaincy to Father Thomas Longua, FSSP, to consummate the new church plan. The community bought a church which had belonged to a Korean Methodist community, approximately five miles from the Carmelite chapel.

With patient determination and intense dedication Father Longua led the very significant renovation effort over the following months, and by the grace

of God and His Mother, the Mater Dei Community had its first Mass in the new church on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, 2009. On the following Easter Sunday, 2010, Bishop Farrell established the Mater Dei Parish in its new church in Irving, Texas.

“The children used to run to the turn after Holy Mass and ring the bell for the Sisters to come�

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REGINA: How has the Mater Dei Parish grown since 2009? Clearly the greater percentage of the original Mater Dei Community members were steadfast Catholic hopefuls within the Dallas diocese who had been praying and waiting for the return of the traditional Mass for over 20 years. These members had long known the beauty and reverence of the Traditional Latin Mass and were overjoyed at the advent of

they found in the Traditional Latin Mass.

We have many parishioners in their 70’s and 80’s and many more in their 20’s and 30’s. One thing that we are NOT short on at Mater Dei is CHILDREN! We have so many couples that have been blessed with many. Plus we have lots of young couples who are open to life and ready to start, or REGINA: Do you find fallen away Catholics re- starting, their own families. turning to the Faith at Mater Dei? What about REGINA: We understand that you have a magconverts? nificent Choir and that they have a recording As the availability of the Mass began making itself available. known throughout the area, new members from all around the Dallas diocese and also from the We do! We have a rich choir history that dates back neighboring dioceses to the east, south and west to the very beginnings of Mater Dei which includcame to Mater Dei and fell in love with the pearl ed several members who had sung in choirs during of great price. Some were fallen-away Catholics the 1950’s and ‘60’s. Under the direction of Mrs. returning to the Faith. Many were converts, most Rita Pilgrim, the first Mater Dei members unitof whom testify that their conversions would not ed to resurrect polyphonic Masses in the Carmel have been were it not for the integrity of worship chapel as well as learning Gregorian Chant Masswhat to them was a welcome oasis following a long, incomprehensible drought. The last Sunday Mass at Carmel was December 6th with about 320 people in attendance; the first Mass at the new location was on December 8th with over 550 in attendance.

And the numbers have only gone up.

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The Odyssey of Mater Dei “The Community now is about 1000-1100 people on a Sunday; with the new place in Fort Worth and a new building in Irving, this number should at least double over the next decade” es. In the spring of 1993, under the direction of Fr. Michael Irwin, FSSP, Mrs. Pilgrim, and many of the Mater Dei choir travelled to Rome to sing in St. Peter’s Basilica. Years later, Fr. Christopher Hathaway, FSSP, and a handful of men from the choir joined together to form the Mater Dei Men’s Schola for the purpose of more adequately singing the Gregorian forms of the Mass propers. This group was expanded under his successor by Fr. Joseph Terra, FSSP. In January 2012, under the direction of Mrs. Kimberly Walters a women’s schola was formed. She also formed the first children’s choir program which has about 60 children involved. The Mater Dei choir has truly come into its own since the Mater Dei community became a parish with all choirs having regular weekly rehearsals. All the choir members are amateur and volunteer parishioners with a passion for the rich sacred music tradition of the Catholic Church. Today the Holy Week Triduum at Mater Dei is fully celebrated with all sung propers and renaissance polyphony. Mrs. Walters also introduced the beautiful tradition of sung Tenebrae in 2011 because of her own desire to bring its tradition to Mater Dei from where she learned it at Mater Ecclesiae Parish in Berlin, NJ. The choirs have released their first professional CD, “Lux in Tenebris”, of music sung at the parish in fall 2014. It is a compilation of chants and polyphonic motets (mainly from the Renaissance era). The CD is available through Amazon and www. cdbaby.com, as well as digital download sites such as Google Play and Spotify. Their next CD should be released in September 2015 and will include Advent and Christmas music.

Homeschool Group (we also host two very strong and large homeschool co-ops), an active youth group and the Blessed Frassati Group for adults, a men’s group, landscape committee, Altar Society, two children’s choirs, Knights of the Altar, a Seniors’ group, etc.

REGINA: Is there a unique tradition of Mater Dei’s that the congregation is active in?

For about 17 years we have had an All Saints ‘Stump the Sisters’ gathering at Carmel where all the children dress up as their favorite saint to stump the Nuns. The Nuns have yet to lose at guessing which saint the children have chosen. Our May Crowning is a huge event!

We had over 100 children last year where each of the girls wear a crown of flowers and the boys carry flags around the grounds at Mater Dei. There are always two First Communion girls that crown the two statues of Our Blessed Mother.

REGINA: Cheryl, could you tell us what it means to you to be a parishioner at Mater Dei Latin Mass Parish?

We were blessed to experience our reversion when our children were young, some 22 years ago. Our family has attended the Extraordinary Form of the Mass at Mater Dei for about 18 years. Our five sons have had the privilege of serving on the altar as altar boys.

We live 75 miles from Mater Dei but feel blessed that God has allowed our family to grow up with the Extraordinary Form of the Mass and its full liturgical life which has in turn shaped our lives. What Mater Dei REGINA: What kinds of organizations, societies or has done for us, by the Grace of God alone, was to prayer groups do you have at Mater Dei? create a truly Catholic environment, bringing us in contact with other families whom we have shared life We have many organizations such as our Pro Life experiences with as we help each other on our path to group, Rosary makers, Knights of Columbus, a huge Heaven. Our parish is our family.

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REGINA: Father Longua, what would you like to add about Mater Dei that you would want our Regina subscribers to know?

There is talk now of building a larger church building on the same site, and we are blessed that Bishop Olson in Fort Worth is soon to open another Latin Mass parish in the metro area. The community now is about 1000-1100 people on a Sunday; with the new place in Fort Worth and a new building in Irving, this number should at least double over the next decade.

Pray for us.

To contact Mater Dei: Mater Dei Latin Mass Parish 2030 State Highway 356 Irving, TX 75060 Phone: (972) 438-7600 Email: info@materdeiparish.com Website: www. http://materdeiparish.com/

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VISIBLE SIGN OF FAITH AND DEVOTION: As the Polish community, grew a small church was purchased from the Lutherans on the south side of Milwaukee and St Stanislaus Parish was established in 1866. The current church which majestically stands at 5th St and Historic Mitchell Street was built in 1872 after the Polish Catholic community out grew it original church. Each family was assessed $30.00 (one month’s salary in 1872) to secure a loan of $20,000.00 dollars for76theRegina construction of the Parishes St Stanislaus.

Magazine | Amazing

The Revival of a Landmark:

St. Stanislaus Interview By:

Photo Credit:

REGINA Magazine

James Berry

T

he story of St Stanislaus is very similar to many other Catholic churches in America. The number of parishioners began to decline in the 1970’s through the 1980’s as a result of the I-94 Freeway construction through Milwaukee and the demographics of the neighborhood changing. The future of this Historic Landmark located in the heart of this once Polish neighborhood on the south side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin was uncertain.

In 2007 the Motu Proprio issued by Pope Benedict XVI made the Latin Mass more accessible to to the Catholic faithful. The same year , then- Archbishop Timothy Dolan had the foresight to establish a home within the Archdiocese of Milwaukee for the strong presence of Catholic faithful attached to the Latin Mass. Archbishop Timothy Dolan entrusted this mission to the care of the Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest.

Today, new life has come to this venerable old church. St Stanislaus offers both the Extraordinary form of the Mass Rite of the Mass everyday and Sundays and the Ordinary form of the Mass on the Saturday vigil. Hundreds of families regularly attend the Extraordinary Rite Mass here on Sundays and weekdays. From the choir loft adorned with a medallion of St. Cecilia, patroness of musicians, the choir signs Gregorian chant and other beautiful ancient Masses.

Canon Olivier Meney was the first Rector, succeeded by Canon Benoit Jayr, who joined St Stanislaus in 2011 after being in several apostolates of the Institute of Christ the King in France. Canon Jayr spoke with REGINA Magazine about St Stanislaus, which he calls his ‘home away from home.’ Abbé George Baird, oblate of the Institute of Christ the King, gave us a very precise and technical point of view.

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REGINA: What was the condition of the church when you arrived?

Abbé George Baird: St. Stanislaus Church will be 150 years old in 2016. Any building that old will always be in need of maintenance and repair. Fortunately the craftsman of 1872 built a solid church. The necessary repairs include tuckpointing, roof repairs and heating/air conditioning upgrades.

REGINA: Tell us about the congregation of St Stanislaus?

Canon Benoît Jayr: Our congregation comes from everywhere! Parishioners come from all parts of Southeastern Wisconsin, including Sheboygan, Kenosha, Hartland, Oconomowoc and all points in between. Currently there about 150 families registered at St. Stanislaus which equates to approximately 550 – 600 people in attendance each Sunday. There are about two to four weddings per year and 50 + baptisms each year.

REGINA: Any vocations from your Parish?

Canon Benoît Jayr: Two years ago St Stanislaus had the privilege of the celebration of the first mass of a newly ordained priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee Fr. Brad Krawczyk, St Stanislaus was his home parish. Currently there is one priestly vocation studying in the Institute of Christ the King Seminary in Florence, Italy and one religious vocation to the Sister Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus both originating from the Latin Mass community.

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The clergy of St Stanislaus Roman Catholic Church: Canon Benoît Jayr-Rector (left) and Abbé George Baird-Oblate (right)

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St Stanislaus Church at Christmastide

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“With the help of God the care and preservation of this venerable building will continue so that new generations of Catholics will be able to give glory to God within His Holy house!�

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St. Stanislaus

With the help of God the care and preservation of this venerable building will continue so that new generations of Catholics will be able to give glory to God within His holy house!”

REGINA: We noticed from the (terrific) video that there are many young people there at Mass.

Canon Benoît Jayr: Yes, we definitely see that young people and families are especially attracted to the Traditional Latin Mass. They are searching for that deep understanding of spirituality and are sensitive to the reverence which is expressed towards the Blessed Sacrament. They are touched by the atmosphere of adoration, silence and also Gregorian chant. In our unstable world the Latin Mass offers the solidity of the constant and unchanged tradition of the Roman Catholic Church.

For them the Mass is not a “theatrical show” given by a smiling actor.

St Stanislaus offers something for everyone including the Confraternity of Christian Mothers, Altar & Rosary, Sursum Corda for young adults, Holy Name Society, choir, teen groups, Blue Knights for young boys, the Company of the Immaculate.

REGINA: So what are the next steps for St. Stanislaus?

Abbé George Baird: Through fundraising and faith in the generosity of the people who attend St. Stanislaus and those sensitive to one of the most famous historical landmarks in Milwaukee we are working to raise the remainder of these funds to complete the renovations! The next phase will be be the restoration of the sanctuary. Every effort will be made to return the sanctuary back to its 1872 appearance. The work will include restoration of the High Altar and return of the Communion Rail.

Canon Benoît Jayr: With the help of God the care and preservation of this venerable building will continue so that new generations of Catholics will be able to give glory to God within His Holy house!

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Chalices and Reliquary in St. Stanislaus Sacristy.

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The Main Altar

1866:

Foundation of St. Stanislaus by the Polish immigrants

1872:

Cornerstone laid

1873:

Established first Polish parochial school in America.

The present church is completed.

1882:

(Record Year): Celebrated 96 marriages, 589 baptisms, and 520 confirmations

1894:

Four bells the largest weighing 3 tons are placed in the two bell towers

1930s

The church and several other parish buildings were renovated.

The current 4-story school was also built.

1960s

Extensive renovations of the church, bell towers and domes, interior renovated according to the liturgical reform of the Council of Vatican II

1963:

Rectory renovated

1966:

Centennial of St. Stanislaus Parish

1988:

Closure of the school

2007:

The Latin Mass Community moves to St. Stanislaus

2008:

St. Stanislaus Church is entrusted to the care of the Institute of Christ the King by then, Archbishop Timothy Dolan

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OUTDOOR EXPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT: Altar servers wear the ICKSP’s characteristic blue-and-white cassock, surplice and capes. First Holy Communion girls in white.

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The

Long & Winding Road to

St Joseph’s in Singapore

Catholicism came to Singapore in 1832 with priests from the Paris Foreign Missions Society (MEP). They built churches and brought Religious to build schools, orphanages and a seminary. Today, some Catholic schools rank amongst the nation’s best, and are famous for providing an excellent academic education alongside a solid moral and ethical formation. As of 2012, there were 303,000 Catholics in Singapore (5.7% of the population), with 31 churches and around 140 priests, four of whom celebrate EF Masses.

Article By:

Estella Young

T

Photo Credit:

Dominic Wong Dominic Lee

he story of the Latin Mass in Singapore is the story of the mustard seed. This “seed” was watered, not by Western expatriates or foreign priests, but by the patient prayers and material contributions of a tiny group of laity, who remained faithful even when the “ground” seemed dauntingly rocky.

Hundreds of Catholics Flocked To the Church

In August 2005, the newly ordained Fr. Duncan Wong FSSP visited en route to his posting in Sydney, Australia. Fr. Wong had many friends and supporters in Singapore, where he had taught for several years in a Catholic school. Archbishop Nicholas Chia granted Fr. Wong permission to celPrior to 2005, there was little knowledge of the EF ebrate two Masses at a parish church. in Singapore. The archbishops had not allowed the EF to be celebrated publicly in decades. Long-tim- The Archdiocesan Liturgical Music Commission ers can recall only two EF Masses, celebrated by put out a call for men who could chant the Mass FSSP Superiors-General who were visiting a pro- Ordinary and Propers. Once the word was out, spective applicant, Mr Duncan Wong. Attendance hundreds of Catholics flocked to the church each was low as the archdiocese had instructed attend- night – young and old, lay and religious. For many of the young, it was their first encounter with the ees not to publicise them. traditional liturgy.

“I found fellowship with committed, orthodox Catholics who worshipped together and prayed for each another. We laughed, loved, and feasted together. I learned much about the Church’s history and liturgy.

And most unexpectedly, it gave me a family. For at that first EF Mass, I met the man who would become my husband. (I don’t remember the moment, but he does!)” Estella Young, 36

“Personally, it is also an escape from the hubbub of the city. God in His mercy and goodness has blessed the community here in Singapore with an army of dedicated Altar Servers and an angelic Schola Cantorum, both of which contribute to the atmosphere that is most conducive for meditation and prayer.� - Anthony Lin, 26

“The EF has helped me to develop a deeper appreciation and understanding of the role of the priest as father, leader, father and brother of the Christian community - from the externals of the liturgy and then into daily living.� – Seminarian, Name Withheld on Request

“I think people are attracted because we focus on God not on people.

The chant gives a sense of the sacred not like the pop music which robs the mass of its sacred character. The canon prayed in silence, cultivating a sense of mystery. I can see the fervour and devotion of the young people who are involved in singing or serving the mass.” Rev. Fr. Augustine Tay , 66 Five young men who met while singing for Fr. Wong’s Masses carried the momentum forward by founding Singapore’s only Gregorian chant schola on 26 December 2005: the Schola Cantorum Sancti Gregorii Magni. Several dozen young Catholics coalesced around the Schola’s Vespers and Compline service (OF, Latin) at a downtown parish one Sunday a month: an hour of worship followed by impromptu fellowship at a nearby café.

In 2006 and 2007, in addition to the monthly Vespers, the Schola and a group of altar servers – including a former FSSP seminarian – organized the occasional chant OF Mass in Latin. Schola leader Mr Francis Nyan, who had studied Gregorian chant at Solesmes in France, ran two introductory chant courses for the archdiocese.

Working for a Regular Mass But the faithful had higher hopes. A small group approached several priests before finding one – Fr. Augustine Tay, assistant priest at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour – willing to host the Latin Mass Community (LMC) at his parish. At the start of 2008, the Vespers service evolved into a monthly Sung Mass (OF, Latin) celebrated by Fr. Tay. He also learned to celebrate the EF, under the tutelage of the former FSSP seminarian, and began saying Low Mass on weekdays.

It was a case of “All hands on deck” for the LMC to pull off a monthly Mass. Most of the young men joined either the Schola or servers. Three middle-aged sisters – from a traditionalist Catholic family of 10 siblings – sewed the vestments and altar linens with loving care.

Others built or paid for the candlesticks, silverware, and other necessary items.

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This arrangement ended after just one year, when Fr. Tay was transferred to the chaplaincy of a retirement home. There, he offered EF Masses on Sundays and solemnities at his tiny chapel. These were attended by a small but growing number of the faithful.

Fortunately, the principal of St. Joseph’s Institution (International), a private Catholic school, generously let the LMC use his school’s chapel on alternate Sundays and solemnities. The LMC was based there from 2009 to 2013. Mass was provided first in the OF, and then, from 2011, exclusively in the EF. The LMC flourished in its new home. There were baptisms and weddings. Local interest in the EF surged in 2012 when the nation’s leading English newspaper featured the LMC in an Easter special on unconventional Christian groups. A few months later, the Schola sang at the nation’s largest concert hall for a sacred music festival. They returned for a repeat performance in 2013.

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Entering the Catholic Mainstream Yet it was not until the installation of a new archbishop in May 2013 that the LMC finally entered the Catholic mainstream. Archbishop William Goh, not a “Traditionalist” himself, made it a priority to reach out to all the groups in the archdiocese that nurtured the spiritual growth of Catholics.

Two months after his installation, he decreed that the LMC would take up residence at St. Joseph’s, one of Singapore’s most historic and beautiful churches. He also instructed that Mass be provided on a weekly basis, instead of just twice a month. Fr. Tay was named the priest in charge of the LMC. Archbishop Goh’s attendance in choir at an EF Mass in September 2013 was the first time in decades that a reigning archbishop had attended an EF liturgy.

Today, four local priests are rostered to offer the EF Sunday Mass at St. Joseph’s on a weekly basis.

St. Joseph’s

“The Chants in Latin appeal to the regular Catholics who have found this way of worship very enriching and helping them to be stronger believers in Jesus Christ. I notice too that more and more young men are coming up to assist closely at the EF Mass.

Among these we hope that some will hear the Lord calling them to be Priests and join in the Priesthood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. “ - Rev. Fr. Anthony Ho , 72

Mass is attended by some 200 people. The vibrant community offers children’s catechism and a Latin class, and several of its youth have been inspired to explore vocations to the religious life, both in Singapore and abroad. Last year, Br. Gabriel Marie Pophillat, 28, made his simple profession with the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate. At least four other Singaporeans – two women and two men, have joined the same order.

Beautiful St. Joseph’s Founded in 1851 by Portuguese missionaries, St. Joseph’s is one of Singapore’s oldest and most famous Catholic churches. The first church was completed in 1853 with a grant from the King of Portugal. It was replaced by the current building, in the Iberian Gothic style, on the same site in 1912. In 2005, the Singapore government declared St. Joseph’s a National Monument.

St. Joseph’s boasts Singapore’s largest collection of stained glass windows, with its 72 panels manufac

tured a century ago in Belgium and Italy. They underwent extensive restoration from July 2012 to November 2014, having fallen into a poor state over the years. The S$1.2 million (US$900,000) bill was shared equally by the Archdiocese and the Singapore government.

The Latin Mass Community was fortunate to be assigned to St. Joseph’s in 2013 when Archbishop William Goh granted the LMC a permanent place in the Archdiocese. The church is in the heart of Singapore’s historic business and civic district, just 310 metres (350 yards) from the Cathedral. Attendance at the EF Masses boomed after the LMC moved to St. Joseph’s.

St. Joseph’s is home to an eclectic mix of worshippers.

In addition to Masses in English, it has regular Sunday Masses in French, Vietnamese and Tagalog. The rector, Fr. Ignatius Yeo, has been very welcoming. He does not celebrate Mass in the EF, but he hears Confessions before Mass and assists in the distribution of Holy Communion.

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“In the church today there has been a lot of talk about ‘building communities’ and actively engaging in ‘New Evangelisation’. I see that we have been able to do just that by simply coming together for a common purpose: to worship and adore the Lord. Centred on Christ, we have managed to radiate Christ first to each other and the diocese as a whole.”

- Luke Alexander Yeo, 20

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St. Joseph’s

“What I like most about masses in the EF are the periods of silence.

These periods allow me the time and space for introspection, and ultimately to lift my heart and mind up to God.” - Norman Lee, 37

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“I have grown in love with the Mass and it has driven me to desire greater participation by praying the Divine Office. My love for Our Lady has grown. I take my faith much more seriously and feel more connected to the many Saints I have read about. I have become more evangelical and I have helped to have members of my family return to the Church and grow in faith.�

- Louis Benedict Figueroa, 36

Timeline of Major Events 1997:

FSSP Superior-General Josef Bisig celebrates a Low Mass at a private chapel for a handful of the faithful.

2000:

FSSP Superior-General Arnaud Devillers celebrates a Low Mass at a parish church for a few dozen of the faithful.

Aug ‘05:

Visiting priest Fr. Duncan Wong FSSP celebrates two Missa Cantata at a parish church for hundreds of the faithful.

‘06-’07:

Sung Vespers and Compline (OF, Latin) at the Adoration Room of the Church of Ss. Peter & Paul one Sunday per month

2008:

OF Sung Mass (Latin) at the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour one Sunday per month

‘09-’10:

OF Sung Mass (Latin) at the chapel of St. Joseph’s Institution (International) two Sundays per month

‘11-’13:

EF Sung Mass at the chapel of St. Joseph’s Institution (International) two Sundays per month

2013Present:

EF Mass at St. Joseph’s Church (Victoria Street) every Sunday

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Articles online about the Singapore Latin Mass Community Dec 2007 – CatholicNews article on Mr Francis Nyan’s

Gregorian Chant course 29 Apr 2012 – CatholicNews coverage of Schola performance for the “A Tapestry of Sacred Music" festival 21 Apr 2013 – Business Times’ article on the Schola 15 Sep 2013 – CatholicNews coverage of Solemn High Mass attended by Archbishop William Goh 8 Dec 2014 – CatholicNews coverage of Solemn High Mass for the sacerdotal anniversaries of two of the LMC priests, attended by Archbishop

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

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The E-Book Revolution ‘Excellent and Beautiful’ - Classic Books For Catholic Kids

Interview By:

P

Bridget Green

Photo Credit:

Paul Pagano

aul Pagano, along with his wife Anna, run a small bookstore out of their home.

They started it last year when they realized that their collection of classic children’s books, which they began for their own young family, was something they felt compelled to share with others.

What sets the Paganos apart from the myriad of online Catholic booksellers is that Catholic Children’s E-Books is ultra-specialized; they sell only E-books for children and young adults. In this exclusive Regina interview with Bridget Green, Paul answers questions about how their company came to be and why it’s important that it keeps going.

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Bridget Green: I know that you are a homeschooling family. What drew you to that lifestyle? How long have you been at it?

Paul Pagano: We were drawn to homeschooling out of necessity. I am an advocate of Catholic schools in theory, but, unfortunately, there is a lack of Catholic identify and fidelity at many local schools. We have been homeschooling for three years and currently have two children of school age and two little ones as well. We are more convinced each passing year that it was the correct decision for our family.

BG: Did homeschooling lead to the creation of Catholic Children’s E-books?

PG: Homeschooling did not directly lead to the creation of Catholic Children’s E-books. Having children and wanting good and beautiful books for them led to the collecting of Catholic Children’s books, which eventually led to the creation of Catholic Children’s E-books, so we could share our beautiful heritage with as many Catholic families as possible.

We believe that Catholics parents who are paying

attention to what their kids read dread finding books at the library or bookstore because there simply isn’t much that a Catholic can approve of that is being produced. Parent after parent breathes a sigh of relief when they see a whole collection of books that they can offer their children and trust completely.

BG: What came first, the collection of books or the online store?

PG: I am a book lover and like nothing more than quietly reading a book. When our first child was born, I expanded my collection to include children’s books. I have purchased Catholic books from around the country for our family. The online store is an effort to offer rare and wonderful Catholic books with other families.

BG: I consider myself fairly well read and yet I haven’t heard of many of the titles you offer. How did you learn about them yourself?

PG: Book collecting is a bit like an avalanche. With every new Catholic author, publisher, or series that is Regina Magazine

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discovered, many books are ultimately found.

During the first half of the 20th century, Catholic readers were a demographic pursued by most major publishers. Catholic wanted Catholic books and publishers gave it to them. My favorite old publisher is Benziger Brothers. They produced over 200 Catholic Children’s novels about 100 years ago. The advertisements in the back of their books has been the source for learning of dozens of books which we are now digitizing.

and at least one other member of the family. I read every book for two reasons. First, to make sure the book meets with my approval in content, and second, so I can speak about the books and recommend particular titles when parents ask for my advice. My children have read many of the books and are always excited when I add a new title to their e-reader.

BG: Have you read all of the books yourself? Have your children read them?

PG: The books aren’t only for my children’s entertainment. We discuss the books and talk about the events and characters. They tell me what they found exciting, who was the bad guy and all about the main

PG: Every book on the website has been read by me 108 Regina Magazine | Amazing Parishes

BG: How has reading books such as the ones you sell affected your children?

The E-Book Revolution

character or hero. The books have a double benefit.

The books, in themselves, provide positive and beautiful reading. They also help us encourage reading without exposing them to much of the dangerous literature available for children.

BG: I notice that you give warning, in at least one place, of a book that mentions the “secret of Santa.”

As a mother, I appreciate this. What made you decide to include warnings like that in your descriptions?

BG: Your prices are very reasonable. Is that an important part of your mission or vocation?

PG: The warning started with me asking questions to my wife about the response she thinks moms will have to certain issues that arise in books. I want parents to be happy with their selections so they visit our website again. I realize parents can’t read every book they download for their children, so, as a Catholic, I try to be clear about the content and age appropriateness of each book.

PG: Our goal is to get these books into the hands of as many Catholic families as possible. We are, of course, growing a business, but we believe these books should be fairly priced so that all Catholic families can benefit from these wonderful works.

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“They clearly intend our Catholic faith to be fully integrated in our lives and worldview” BG: I know you have a soft spot for the books penned by a small group of Jesuit priests in the early part of the last century. Why is this? What makes these books necessary, in your opinion, for the young men of today?

PG: Five Jesuit priests wrote a combined over 100 books (primarily for boys) in the early 20th century.

Many times, it is made clear by the authors that they are writing because they see a destruction of boyishness, which will lead to the destruction of real manliness.

They were saying this before World War I. It took the world another 50-75 years to catch up and see that we have a “boy” problem. These priests were convinced that boys were not being taught to be noble, hardy, honest, hard-working, and tough.

They believed that boys not taught these things would grow into weak men, and I believe they were right.

They wrote their books to combat this and I love them for it. These books are the works I am most excited about digitizing.

BG: That sounds like something Cardinal Burke would approve of. There are books on your site for children of a wide age range. What age group do you think can most benefit from the books you offer?

PG: While I have many books for young children (age 6-8), the books that I believe are most relevant are the works for ages 10 to 18.

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There are still many fine books available for little children, but there is much less that is even safe for preteen and teens. It is sad that we have to worry about what is safe rather than what is excellent, but that is what is currently available for children. We want boys and girls, and young men and young ladies, to have excellent and beautiful works available to them, not books that are barely safe.

BG: What is the one thing you wish people knew about your company?

PG: There are a few things I would like to address here. The most important is that it is a family-to- family business. We are a Catholic family serving other Catholic families. Next, the books themselves are beautiful. They clearly intend our Catholic faith to be fully integrated in our lives and worldview, rather than being one component that we keep distinct from the other aspects of our lives.

Editor’s Note: You can find Catholic Children’s E-Books at various US homeschooling conferences throughout the year, and at these locations: Website: http://www.catholicchildrensebooks.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paganoEbooks E-Newsletter Sign-up: https://www.facebook.com/ paganoEbooks/app_100265896690345 Email: info@CatholicChildrensEbooks.com Phone: (In the US) 732-674-1390

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‘Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day’ ~

A Visit to Mater Ecclesiae Interview By:

REGINA Magazine

Photo Credit:

Thomas Tonelli John R Symons

Father Robert C. Pasley, KCHS, a native of the Diocese of Camden, was ordained in 1982. Father Pasley has been a parish priest and a secondary school teacher in New Jersey for much of his priesthood. He is the Chaplain of the Church Music Association of America and serves on the faculty at the Colloquium. Father is a Knight Commander of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

On October, 13, 2000, he was appointed Rector, by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, of the newly established Tridentine Parish of Mater Ecclesiae, Berlin, NJ. Mater Ecclesiae is the first diocesan-run Tridentine parish in the United States. In this candid interview, Father Pasley discusses his fifteen year sojourn at Mater Ecclesiae.

112 Regina Magazine | Amazing Parishes

REGINA: How did you find the parish when you arrived?

Father Pasley: It was not a parish when I arrived. It was originally called Holy Family Monastery and had been a community outside the Church that resisted the changes of the Second Vatican Council. HF Monastery closed in 1995 and was abandoned. A group of lay people called the Oblates of Saint Jude formed and proceeded to obtain the deed for the property. They began seeking normalization with the Diocese. Finally, the property was opened as a Latin Mass site in 1998 and then our Bishop at the time, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, asked me to take it and found a parish that exclusively used the 1962 Liturgical books. It was a wonderful reconciliation of the community and a very brave new idea. At the time we were the only Diocesan-owned and staffed parish dedicated to the Ancient Rites of the Mass. The place was in very poor condition and there were about 75 families that registered in October of 2000. We now have about 500 families.

REGINA: How many Masses do you offer on Sundays?

Father Pasley: We have three Sunday Masses: a Low Mass without music, a Low Mass with organ and hymns and a High Mass with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. We also celebrate all the feast days with festivity, including the 1962 Rites of Holy Week, Forty Hours Devotions, Corpus Christi procession, Rogation processions, Rosary procession, May Crowning, Candlemas and our very large celebration of the Assumption.

Each year we go to a large Church to celebrate the Assumption. Last year we celebrated the Assumption at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia. The sung ordinary, with full orchestra, was the Lord Nelson Mass of Franz Joseph Haydn.

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Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day

“We support the parish because it is an oasis of faith and Catholicism in our very troubled society.”

REGINA:. Do you find that offering frequent confessional times is key to the spiritual growth of the parish?

Father Pasley: Absolutely! We have confession before every Mass and for an hour on Tuesday night so that people can take more time.

Confession is an essential part of what we do.

REGINA: What activities do you offer in support of the parish?

Father Pasley: We have a very active Music apostolate: a Mass schola and a full choir directed by our Music Director, Mr. Nicholas Beck and we are forming a Divine office schola. We have a full homeschool based CCD Program for preschool through High School, a Blessed Imelda society for our girls, the altar servers guild for the boys and men. We are the first parish in the United States to form a chapter of Catholic Scouts, the Federation of North American Explorers. We have an active theatre society which performs a dinner theatre every year, an active Knights of Columbus Assembly. We have a book club and instructions for converts as well as various social committees for parish parties and affairs.

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REGINA: Looking back, what have been your principle challenges?

Father Pasley: Setting up as parish from scratch. We had two thousand dollars and not even a phone or a file cabinet. Dealing with buildings that were in poor shape and in need many repairs; the challenges of fundraising to pay for the repairs; trying to build a positive atmosphere after many people had been hurt because of their traditional views; being integrated into the diocese and yet keep our unique apostolate.

REGINA: Major joys?

Father Pasley: The celebration of the Sacred Liturgy – people and priests all on the same page, wanting it done with precision beauty and reverence.

Seeing the tried and true Catholic faith practiced and loved by the people.

Passing down the traditions of our faith the young. (We have children who have been raised here since birth and are now 15 years old. This is the only parish they have ever known.

The EF is their Ordinary Form. They are on fire for the faith.) To welcome our Bishop and see how much he enjoys the faith and practice of the people. To be accepted by the Diocese

as an important part of the Church.

To learn more about the faith myself, especially through the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy.

REGINA: What advice would you offer to priests and parishioners who are just starting out on the road you have come so far on?

Father Pasley: Trust in God’s Providence, entrust everything to the Blessed Virgin Mary, work hard and when you think you can’t do any more, do more. Don’t whine and bemoan – love the faith and live it, have a positive attitude, and never give up. Rome wasn’t built in a day and things take time. It takes one day to tear a building down; it takes hard work, and a very long time to build something. •

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND PHOTOS PLEASE VISIT:

http://www.materecclesiae.org/ galleries/ http://www.materecclesiae.org/ https://www.facebook.com/ MaterEcclesiaeChurch/ info?tab=overview

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Why Master Ecclesiae is Our ‘Spiritual Home’

P

ope Francis has said that a Catholic parish must be ‘really in contact with the homes and the lives of its people’ in order to avoid it becoming ‘a useless structure out of touch with people.’ So, what makes for an amazing parish? Why would people drive for hours every week to attend Mass? What motivates them to become deeply involved with a parish – to the point of calling it their ‘spiritual home’?

REGINA Magazine recently heard from parishioners John and Kori Rotondi, Cara Curtz and Paul Pagano of Mater Ecclesiae Parish in Berlin, NJ about why theirs is an ‘amazing parish.’

How long have you been at Mater Ecclesiae?

John and Kori Rotondi: Since 2002, first as out-of-town visitors a few times a year, especially for Holy Week, and then as full-time parishioners for nine years.

Paul Pagano: Every Sunday for six years. Before that once a month for about a year, and before that, for special Masses like Michaelmas, Candlemas, the Assumption, etc. Three of our children have been baptized at the parish.

Cara Kurtz: My husband and I have been at Mater for eight years. We received an indult, before the Motu 116 Regina Magazine | Amazing Parishes

Proprio, to be married in a Latin Mass in my husband’s hometown parish 45 minutes away and we still live there.

How did you find the parish?

Cara Kurtz: When we were dating, we attended Mass there and agreed that it would be a great place to raise a family. The beauty of the liturgy illuminates everything at the parish.

Today when to be Catholic is to be counter-cultural, you have to be fed spiritually if you are to live a Catholic life. Mater Ecclesiae does just that.

John Rotondi: Before I was married, I assisted my father in 2002 when he was a vendor (on behalf of Our Lady

of Victory Homeschool in Idaho) at the 2002 Chaplet conference, an annual homeschoolers’ organization event held at Mater in the spring.

Paul Pagano: We first found the parish in a small article in a local Catholic newspaper; that little article changed our lives.

Do you travel on Sundays?

Paul Pagano: Yes, we travel an hour each way to the parish every Sunday, for Holy Days, and other special feast days. Mater Ecclesiae is well worth the drive.

John Rotondi: Yes, we are fully enrolled parishioners who attend both

on Sundays and often on weekdays.

Our drive to Mater is approximately half an hour each way.

Cara Kurtz: We currently live 45 minutes away and feel privileged to be part of the parish. Plenty of people drive that amount to attend school, work, or sports so for us it is not a hardship.

Are you involved with activities in support of the parish?

Paul Pagano: Yes, our family is involved in multiple ways. Our two oldest children attend CCD at the parish. One son is a member of the Federation of North American Explorers, a Catholic group for children 6 to 16. We also actively support a Catholic homeschool conference held at the parish every year.

The Rotondis: John is actively involved in the men’s schola, and he is also currently forming a new auxiliary schola to train men and boys to sightread Gregorian chant and to form

a liturgical Choir for Divine Office services. Kori occasionally sings in the parish’s mixed choir and acts in the annual Dinner Theatre plays in February.

Cara Kurtz: We are part of the CCD program and attend most of the social events that Mater hosts.

Why do you support the parish to the degree that you do?

Cara Kurtz: Mater Ecclesiae is very important to us. It helps us live our lives by providing the spiritual direction that we desperately need.

We are able to be inspired by faithfilled people who are just trying to do what is right, our kids can form faithfilled friendships, and it provides a wonderful spiritual light that nonparishioners reference.

We feel privileged to be members of such a wonderful parish.

Paul Pagano: We support the parish because it is an Oasis of Faith and Catholicism in our very troubled society. I never fear that anything

less than the FULL Catholic truth will be preached at Mater Ecclesiae. The parish has helped to form our family spiritually, intellectually, and morally, according to the Faith, not according to the World.

The Rotondis: John has been assisting at the Traditional Latin Mass for 25 years, and Mater Ecclesiae is a first in the USA to endeavor to form a diocesan parish exclusively (in the year 2000) for the use of the Traditional Roman Liturgy just as the Fraternity of St. Peter and the Institute of Christ the King have operated similar parishes for the last 26 years. Many diocesan parishes have the TLM, but only as an added Mass on Sundays, often at inconvenient times.

A TLM-only parish allows for everyone to experience living the full gamut of the Church’s Traditional Liturgy - e.g. daily Masses according to the Traditional Calendar, special feasts in which the ancient ceremonies are celebrated such as Candlemas, and the Divine Office (notably Tenebrae during Holy Week). We also have the Regina Magazine

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“Trust in God’s Providence, entrust everything to the Blessed Virgin Mary”

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A child of the Sixties, she hiked the Way of St James alone.

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“When we first started, we were surprised to find a vibrant parish with the full spectrum of ages represented, from young growing families to middle aged folks to elderly seniors. We had feared the parish would be mostly elderly individuals and nothing else.”

Sacraments administered according to the old rites, including Confirmation by our own Bishop of Camden.

Beyond the Liturgy, which is the source and summit of Catholic life, the liturgical life of our parish begets fellowship and brings many Catholic families of like mind together to live and be fully Catholic socially which is ever more difficult amidst darkness and confusion of the world and even in parts of the larger Church. We came here for the Liturgy, but God blessed us abundantly further with good friendships and a Catholic community second to none.

Day and Octoberfest. The families at the parish are a great support for one another as each family is dedicated to raising their children to be Catholic before anything else. Parishes like Mater Ecclesiae are a bastion against the destruction of the Catholic faith in our world. We need as many Mater Ecclesiae parishes as possible.

Cara Kurtz: Our wonderful parish also sponsors many social events throughout the year that both parishioners and non-parishioners like to attend. The dinner theater that we are hosting for Valentine’s Day weekend sold out a month in advance for the Valentine’s Day showing. The Why is Mater Ecclesiae important to St. Patrick’s Day Party is very popular. your family?

I think our events are so popular because today it is so hard to find Paul Pagano: When we first started, clean fun. There is also a Catholic we were surprised to find a vibrant scouts program that is popular with parish with the full spectrum of ages parishioners and non-parishioners represented, from young growing alike. families to middle aged folks to elderly The Rotondis: Much of which was seniors. We had feared the parish lost in the centuries following the would be mostly elderly individuals Council of Trent due to the influences and nothing else. We were pleasantly of Protestantism and political surprised that there were many other persecutions, is what Mater Ecclesiae families just like ours, families seeking has been restoring since its founding. a place to live out their Catholic This restoration is not only the past Faith and Catholic Heritage as fully but the future of the Church. It as possible. The parish has more restores the right and full worship the baptisms every year than it does Church has to give to Almighty God, funerals, and more young families and it likewise begets a fuller and true come to the parish every year. sense of community and friendship The parish is important to us because among the faithful by the common we are able to live our Catholic faith Why is Mater Ecclesiae important to experience of living the liturgical year. in a very full way. The parish is the Catholic community?

Mater Ecclesiae, therefore, sustains our more than the Latin Mass, it is our family spiritually and communally, Catholic Heritage actively lived. Paul Pagano: The parish seeks to which gives us the blessing of a true Many churches that have a Latin actively foster a Catholic Community. Catholic community, not in word, but Mass have to find a time to squeeze There are parish breakfasts, pot-luck in deed. • in a Latin Mass. Mater Ecclesiae has dinners, an annual dinner theatre, all Masses in the Traditional Roman a children’s play, and parish socials For more information on this parish Rite, and all Sacraments according to in the spring and fall, for St Patrick’s click here and here the 1962 ritual. There is Mass every day, Confession every day, High Mass every Sunday, and Choral Masses on special occasions. That is very unique for a diocesan parish!

The Rotondis: Restoring the Liturgy to its fullness is our parish’s primary mission, not just to go back to get a “Latin Mass” on Sunday, but to restore the best and most of our Roman liturgical Tradition, from Sunday Mass to daily Masses, to the full celebration of Holy Week, the Divine Office, and the myriad of special ceremonies during all times of the year.

Cara Kurtz: Mater Ecclesiae provides a spiritual element to the area that other parishes do not. We do things differently at Mater and people who care about what happens in the Church notice. Last year when the diocese had no ordinations to the priesthood, a son of the parish was ordained in a religious order.

We hold a yearly mass of Thanksgiving for the Feast of the Assumption and it was held in the Cathedral in Philadelphia. There was standing room only. Donations for that Mass poured in from all over the country to cover the associated costs. For the Feast of Candlemas, something that most Catholics probably have never even heard about, the bishop along with at least 13 other priests will be at Mater Ecclesiae.

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S ociety for the Protection of Unborn Children

was the first pro-life organisation established in the world and remains the largest organisation of its kind in the UK. Established in 1966, the founder members of SPUC recognised that the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Bill (which became the Abortion Act 1967) then before Parliament would drastically change the law, leading to abortion on demand. The society was formed to oppose the Bill.

The aims of SPUC are, first and foremost, to affirm, defend and promote the existence and value of human life from the moment of conception, and to defend and protect human life generally. SPUC recognises the need to reassert the principle laid down in the United Nations 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the Child that the child “needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth�. We also pledge to defend, assist and promote the life and welfare of mothers during pregnancy and of their children from the time of conception up to, during and after birth and to examine existing or proposed laws, legislation or regulations relating to abortion and to support or oppose such as appropriate.

SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF UNBORN CHILDREN

SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF UNBORN CHILDREN

We invite you

To join us for the SPUC 2015 International Youth Conference 6-8 March in Southport, Merseyside, UK. SPUC are delighted to announce that His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke will be addressing attendees following his defence of the family during the Synod on the Family 2014.

Other speakers will include Obianuju (Uju) Ekeocha of Culture of Life Africa. Uju travels the world promoting the Gospel of Life and the African values of faith, family, life, marriage and motherhood.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to attend workshops held by Ira Winter on the subject of NFP as well as Margaret Cuthill of Abortion Recovery Care and Helpline (ARCH), a post-abortion counsellor, and Janet Secluna Thomas of No Less Human, who worked alongside the late Alison Davis for many years and whose workshop will focus on how we talk about disability.

Other speakers will include Ira Winter, a member of the Life Fertility Care team who promote an ethical alternative to IVF and Dr. David Paton, professor of Economics at Nottingham University and an expert on issues surrounding teenage pregnancy.

SPUC’s Fiorella Nash and Paul Tully will also be speaking and sharing their expert knowledge. Fiorella specialises in ProLife Feminism, international surrogacy, abortion in China and maternal mortality. Paul Tully, SPUC’s General Secretary, is an expert in legal and parliamentary policy surrounding pro-life issues.

Open to those aged 16-35. The cost of the conference is £100, including all meals and accommodation For more information and an application form, please contact Rhoslyn Thomas: 0207 820 3140 rhoslynthomas@spuc.org.uk

National Headquarters: 3 Whitacre Mews, Stannary Street, London SE11 4AB, UK TEL: +44 (0)20 7091 7091 FAX: +44 (0)20 7820 3131 www.spuc.org.uk

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Sunday Dinner with Father Keyes He’s a priest who opens his church at 5:30 am and gives 110% to his parish, and his parishioners love him for it – most of them, that is. In ten years, he has made St Edward’s in Newark, California a ‘parish worth driving to’ for Catholics with 25+ different nationalities and languages. Here’s REGINA Magazine’s interview with the priest who catechizes all the time – even over Sunday Dinner in the rectory.

Father Keyes, how long have you been at St. Edward’s?

My life over many years has been bound up with St. Edward Parish. As a seminarian at St. Patrick Seminary I was assigned a year of field Education at St Edward (78-79). Later I served as Director of Music there (84-88). I was ordained a Deacon at St. Edward in 1991. I preached a Lenten Mission at St. Edward (2000) and was appointed Pastor in 2004.

So, as Pastor, I am in my eleventh year.

What was the parish like when you arrived?

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finished the prior year, and the sacristy was completely remodeled. On the other hand, there were several severe problems that needed to be taken care of soon. The parking lot was in poor condition and was a liability and every roof leaked the first year. There were no records of when the facilities were last painted.

There were severe cash flow problems. In the previous year the parish had borrowed from the School to make payroll. None of the department heads were following a budget and the previous pastor had not paid the Diocesan assessment in five years.

There was $500,000 in unpaid bills. In the first two years two staff persons retired and were not replaced and I laid off five workers. It took me a year to wrestle the budget to the ground.

Photo Credit: Fr Jeffery Keyes

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Wow, what about the Masses?

There was a large choir and a good set of accompanists and cantors for the other masses. Competent and they performed well but there was little attention to text. Many of their favorite songs were from contemporary Christian sources, and each year at Christmas the choir did a concert using a libretto from the Assembly of God. • At my installation as pastor there were two songs that were clearly not Catholic belief, and the Gloria sung was not the text from the Mass.

• There was a liturgical dance group that performed at one mass each week.

• There were four young people paid as sacristans.

The Sacristy was brand new. All the old sacristy cases had been removed and discarded and replaced with kitchen cabinets. In the sacristy there was a new drawer system.

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One drawer had two compartments, one for garbage and one for used purificators. Occasionally purificators were found in the garbage.

• I witnessed a parish catechist tell a confirmation candidate that he could decide for himself who Jesus was for him.

Has the parish grown since that time? How many Masses do you offer on Sundays?

We have nine Masses on Saturday and Sunday. Including seven English Masses, one Spanish and one Portuguese. In 2005 I fired the music director and hired a new one. The entire choir left, many of them going to sing in the contemporary choir at the Presbyterian Church. There are several other Catholic Churches in the area with contemporary music, the closest one about two miles away. Many families migrated to the other parish.

However, many families disenfranchised by the previous administration returned. Mass attendance remained mostly even, and the collection registered a slight increase. By the third year I knew of four homeschooling families that moved into the parish.

Do you find that offering frequent confessional times is key to the spiritual growth of the parish?

When we moved our Confession time from Saturday Afternoons to Monday Evenings, and added confessions every morning before the 9:00am Mass, the numbers of confessions we heard quadrupled. This also makes us a destination as many people come from other parishes.

“We have had many speakers come in for week long events or one-day events, Tim Staples, Patrick Madrid, Patrick Coffin, and Fr. Mitch Pacwa. Fr. Carlos Martin brought his relics and gave a marvelous presentation. For him the Church was packed and there were people praying over the relics until Midnight. We had Mother Dolores Hart here for an evening. “

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What about the Church itself? “The Sanctuary was barren. There were two large plastic trees in each corner. The marble altar was filthy. Years and years of taping banners to the front had left a filthy residue of glue. The polyester altar cloths were dingy and yellow.

In the previous year the natural wood in the sanctuary had been painted over. There were no crucifixes in the church.

Touchdown Jesus reigned from a large wooden cross. The Holy oils were kept in a closet with the matches and the charcoal.�

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Sunday Dinner with Father Keyes

And today?

“We are a destination parish. People drive from Hayward (11 miles), Union City, Fremont, Livermore and even San Jose to attend Mass here. One couple drives more than a half hour, and even though the husband was Parish council president of their parish, they come at least once a month for their ‘Roman fix.’ Mass attendance has remained pretty steady. We have many parishioners allergic to Latin, but they have six other Masses to go to.”

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What activities are there in the parish? “Where should I start? The place needed to become Catholic, or begin to look and act like Catholics. The emphasis was in adult faith formation and education. I began to teach the weekly adult Class. We did not call it RCIA, because that referred to the rites. No, this class was for everyone, those becoming Catholic and those who had been Catholic all their life and needed more formation. In the past few years there has been an explosion of video resources for Faith formation for young people and adults. “We have had days of recollection using videos of Fr. Robert Barron, mini-retreats during Lent and Advent using short videos from Fr. Barron, and a twenty week long session using Symbolon from St. Augustine Institute, and the Chosen program from Ascension Press for faith formation of Junior high children in our school. We have also used the Catholicism series from Fr. Barron in our Adult Faith Formation.�

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Rebuilding Catholic Culture at St. Edward

Q. Looking back, what have been your principle challenges?

A. Principle challenge: error, and Sunday dinner.

1.

2.

3.

4.

The interior of the Church was painted (we got rid of the bright yellow racing stripe behind the altar) and we installed a new floor.

The carpet was removed from the sanctuary and replaced with a wood laminate. The entire Liturgy may now be sung without aid of microphones.

Touchdown Jesus was replaced with a Crucifix, two plastic trees were moved to the parish hall and replaced with four statues, each statue having been repainted or refinished.

A new Jacobean frontal and new linens were provided for the altar, and banners or anything in front of the altar was banned. A new Crèche display was donated by the parishioners, as was a new Infant of Prague

Altar servers were retrained, the Solemn Mass each Sunday is Altar boys only in Cassock and surplice. At other Masses the servers wear albs and include boys and girls.

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5.

6.

7.

8.

The music in the parish was slowly changed to what the church was asking. Most of the changes happened at the 10:00am solemn Mass, but eventually we began working on the other Masses as well.

Using melodies and mode from the Psalterium Monasticum, I composed and arranged melodies for all the Sunday psalms in the Lectionary. We use antiphons from the Simple English Propers, and other hymns. The Choir now knows three Gregorian Masses and three Choral Masses by Palestrina and Hassler.

In 2012 the Extraordinary Form began at the parish. A Low Mass is held every Thursday and various Holy Days have had a full Missa Cantata.

In 2007 we had a parish mission based on the psalms. In 2008 we began with Morning prayer Monday through Friday. Later we added Evening prayer. Now we sing Morning and Evening Prayer in the Church seven days a week.

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Challenges

S

unday Dinner is a sacred time, a time to relax with family and friends and enjoy a meal and some wine. It provides some festivity to the Lord’s day and it reconnects us with one another on a personal level. As a Rectory with three priestz, it provides us an opportunity to invite friends and guests.

As a Rectory Sunday dinner it provides a bit of respite and space in a VERY full day.

One of my biggest challenges is how to deal with error.

Often by scratching the surface we pick up a distorted view of the nature of Jesus. Someone said once that I can find heresy under every rock. I don’t go looking for it, more often than not it slaps me across the face. Pelagianism, Jansenism and Arianism seemed to be all over the place. One day the Nestorian Heresy presented itself. A parishioner accosted me after Mass and told me to stop talking about homosexuality since Catholics now accepted it. People tell me that people leave the parish over the music, but I know families

that left the parish over my preaching on abortion, same-sex marriage and contraception.

Sunday dinner became a challenge because here it was that people told me that Mary was only the Mother of the human nature of Christ, that woman should be ordained, that I am wrong on same sex marriage, that St. Paul is not an Apostle, that they hate the music at Mass, that no one understands Latin, and that if Vatican II did not tell us to turn the altars around, then why did everyone do it?

So, one of our catechists had on her Facebook page something very supportive a of a woman friend of hers that was about to be “ordained.” She also has on her page support for same-sex marriage. So I challenge her on this and she backtracks. Then she writes my provincial complaining about me. Sheesh, after 10 years error still rears its ugly head, and it gets me in trouble.

Major Joys

S

unday Dinner is a better experience these days.

Some stay away and others are no longer invited.

(Prov 17:1)Better a dry crust with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife. I love to cook and Sunday is the day to experiment. We always start with Antipasto and sometimes we have two or more other courses. We have been as simple as a hearty bean soup, and as extravagant as Saltimbocca Romano or Filet Mignon. This Sunday will be Greek Lemon soup, Italian Lemon Chicken and a French Lemon Torte.

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The other major Joy is the center of my life. Daily prayer of the Church and Daily Mass. Singing the psalms each day brings such a measure of peace in a busy day. On a recent Monday, the Feast of the Presentation, I sang the entire Mass. Members of the Schola sang the readings, and the small schola sang the chants, some Palestrina and Viadana. And after Mass the one adjective that people used to describe it was “beautiful.”

Father Jeffrey Keyes blessing parishioners Joe and Maria Silmaro on their 27th wedding anniversary.

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REGINA: Father Keyes, what advice would you offer to priests and parishioners who are just starting out on the road you have come so far on? “I think I learned from Mother Theresa that God did not call me to be successful, but to be faithful. Everyone tells me I should have changed things more slowly. Still ten years later and still not having made all the changes I intend, I think I should have made changes faster.

I am here to serve the Lord, and so are the people. People complain that we do not have a mission statement. I tell them that we do not have a mission. The Mission has us. You will listen closely to the people, you will address their fears, you will explain history and tradition and faith and doctrine, and they will accuse you of not listening. Our task is to worship God, pass on the faith to other generations, and serve the needs of the poor. Give your attention to that and do not spend time on the complainers. Know what you need to do, know why you need to do it, have a ready explanation of what you are doing and do it�

Faith Formation at St Edwards, Newark,California

PILGRIMAGES: We took three buses to the West Coast Walk for Life in January 2015. We have rented buses for Pilgrimage days to California Missions. We sponsored a tour to Italy in 2012, with 16 parishioners to various sites associated with the life of St. Gaspar del Bufalo. While there we attended a liturgy at St. Peters, one parishioner was quick to point out that we sing the same music at St. Edward.

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CATHOLIC SCHOOL CHILDREN participate in the burning of the palms and preparation of the Ashes for Ash Wednesday. They also participate in the burning of the old Holy Oils and the preparation of the stocks for the Chrism Mass.

MISSIONS: Patrick Madrid preached a parish Mission here, and then came back and held an Apologetics seminar In June of 2013. He did a one Evening of recollection in 2014; He is returning for another Apologetics workshop in 2015.

In 2013, Fr. Carlos Martin brought his Treasures of the Church display of relics of the saints. The Church was packed, about 700 in a space that seats 400. People were praying over the relics way past midnight.

BULLETIN: A selection from the Fathers of the Church every weekend. Occasionally longer explanations by the pastor about the changes, why we use Latin, why we include the Extraordinary Form, etc. When the new Roman Missal was introduced, the bulletin included all the old prayers next to the new prayers with explanations about the New Roman Missal.

INFORMATION: During the Health Care debate in the Congress, articles and brochures about artificial contraception were provided. I was asked by the Bishop to speak at a Religious Freedom Rally at the Federal Building in San Francisco.

Our Parish took a couple of busses to the rally. My talk was published in the parish bulletin and in the CPPS community newsletter. My views were contradicted by parishioners by letter, and the CPPS Newsletter published opposing articles.

BOOKS: Occasionally we find a good Catholic book, buy it in bulk and sell it for cost to the parishioners. Daughters of St. Paul bring their book display every autumn to provide access to good Catholic books, Videos and other material to help the parishioners to grow in faith.

FILMS: We sponsor several films of a religious or Catholic nature in our Hall. We have used films from Ignatius Press and other sources. We showed Mary of Nazareth four times, twice at the local Theatre.

“DO THIS IN MEMORY” is a process for the second year of First Communion preparation. It includes several meetings with the parents, and eight or nine preparation Masses for the children. It puts in the hands of the parents what they need to be the principal faith formation for their children. The “Grapevine” provides activities the parents can do at home with their children, Mass responses they can practice, and the Gospel for the next Mass so the parents can prepare their children.

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Real Women’s Voices The Women of St Edward’s Speak The Old-Timers Joan Schultz has been a parishioner at St. Edward’s in Newark, California for 52 years. She lives a little over a mile away, and she has been active in the parish for decades. Lucena Nenet C. Francisco and her family have been parishioners for more than 25 years, where she has been a Sacristan since 2000. Joan and Lucena recently told REGINA Magazine why they think St Edward’s is an ‘amazing’ parish.

JOAN: Over the years my husband and I were very active in church. Our four children graduated from St Edward’s school. During that time I acted as school secretary, school nurse, counted money, served lunches, etc. I have been one of the money counters for about 20 years.

LUCENA: I’ve been Eucharistic Minister, Lector, member of the Legion of Mary; volunteer office staff when needed. Literally, whatever it is that I can contribute to support my Parish. My mind, my heart, my whole being always long to be in the service of my Lord. I’d rather be in the House of the Lord than a thousand elsewhere. I thank God for making it possible for me to get involved & support my Parish.

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JOAN: Now that we are in our 80s, we are not so active. We now attend Mass, Liturgy of the Hours, First Friday mass and we are Third Order Carmelites.

LUCENA: St. Edward Church is very important to myself, my family and to the community. Speaking for myself, this is where I get most of all my spiritual nourishment. Just like the body which needs food and nourishment to survive; my soul, our soul needs to feed on spiritual foods.

JOAN: Since Fr Keyes became pastor I like the way he handles the money financially so we have increased our donations.

LUCENA: I am very grateful to have a Pastor, Rev. (Fr.) Jeff Keyes who provides this nourishment. The Holy Eucharist, the Sacraments, the education, all the opportunities for us to grow in spirit are made available to us. Our Lord, always present in the Tabernacle is always waiting for us.

other end, I want the parishioners to realize how important their support is to the Parish. It’s a collective effort wherein everybody is just as important.

JOAN: We feel very blessed by this parish. Having confessions every day has brought the people from nearby churches, especially my friends the CarmelJOAN: This parish is the only real Catholic Church in ites.” the area. I attended Fr Jeff ’s Bible Study for over four years and feel safe in his knowledge and teachings. He LUCENA: I praise and thank God for St. Edward and is not afraid to speak out about abortion, homosex- our Pastor. I hope and pray that our Parishioners will uality. He feels responsible for our souls and he is a have the gift to see the immense goodness around us dedicated 24/7 priest.” and partake of these.

LUCENA: Our Parish needs our support. Our Pastor and Priests do everything. They depend on us to extend the Church to the rest of the people. On the

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Real Women’s Voices

The Newbies Maria Silmaro and her family have been at the parish for over seven years. Cristina Navarro has been a parishioner only since 2011.

Tes Yabut joined the parish fairly recently, too. All three ‘newbies’ have a different take on the parish, but they all think it’s ‘amazing.’

REGINA: Do you travel on Sundays to be there?

Cristina Navarro: Yes. There is a Catholic church three blocks from my house, but I travel about 10-15 minutes (6 miles) to St. Edward to attend mass and services. I was looking for a Catholic school for my son and St. Edward’s happened to be in a convenient location.

Tes Yabut: While my home Parish is just one mile away, and there are others within short distance, I drive 20-25 minutes each way to St. Edward’s. Except when I am sick, out of town, or really busy, I come almost daily: in the morning for Lauds, adoration and Holy Mass, and in the afternoon for Vespers and adoration.

REGINA: Are you involved with activities in support of the parish?

Cristina Navarro: I attend lectures, Faith Formation Classes, Parish Mission, Walk for Life, St. Vincent de Paul Christmas Drive, even Apologetics Academy. I also support book sales, religious film presentations, sacred relic exposition, the parish festival, fish fry, and other fundraisers. If my work schedule allowed it, I would be teaching CCD classes now. Soon, I will be participating in pilgrimages too.

Tes Yabut: There are many ministries and activities in the Parish. But I am not a member of any of them.

My support comes very quietly, in the background.

Modesty aside, I help when I can, I sense when there is a need to “tidy-up” the Church, the Chapel, the restrooms, fixing flowers, picking up trash on the floor, fixing books for the Liturgy of the Hours after prayers, helping fix the pews to clear with un-necessary 144 Regina Magazine | Amazing Parishes

clutter, set aside the Missals, pick up music sheets which will not be needed in the next Mass, help and guide new-comers to the Morning and Evening prayer, or the EF Mass.

REGINA: What has drawn you to St Edward’s?

Cristina Navarro: I kept coming back afterwards.

Weeks later, I decided to register as a parishioner, despite being a parishioner in another parish for 20+ years. I am now on fire for God and the faith, driven by a desire to have others experience the same. I have gone from years of feeling obligated to go to Sunday mass, to looking forward to meeting and receiving Christ in the Eucharist each Sunday.

Tes Yabut: Most importantly, Father has tried to impart to the people to avoid profane greetings and actions but instead to learn the value of maintaining a holy silence and learn to be recollected in the Church.

For me personally, I recognize that we come to Church for Sacred Worship which demands a decorum commensurate with the dignity of our Worship. Silence is a sign of respect for the place and the meaning of the place. Catholics likewise need to know the sacredness of the liturgical “work” which they do. Their dress, their demeanor, their discipline, ought all to speak of their recognition of that sacredness. They ought to manifest a genuine respect for Jesus present, as well as for the values of the Catholic Church. It was not easy to do all these with limited resources. I must not forget to acknowledge all the families and the many men and women who have donated their time, money and efforts to accomplish all these.

REGINA: Why do you support the parish to the degree that you do?

Cristina Navarro Supporting St. Edward Parish is a major priority for me because it was instrumental in bringing me and my family closer to Christ in a deep and dramatic way. It is my greatest hope that by supporting the parish and its mission, other families will be drawn closer to the Lord as it did mine.

Tes Yabut: First, Father Keyes has raised the level of quality to serve as inspiration for all things liturgical here, and he has put a particular emphasis on the Holy Mass itself: that it be celebrated “worthily, attentively and devoutly” according to the mind of the Church.

This is very important and dear to my heart. I am aware that it was not easy for Fr. Keyes when he first got into the Parish. But he knew that the only way to achieve reform is to have the courage to begin it, and to continue it in a consistent and principled way.

REGINA: How does St Edward’s practice the Christian virtue of charity?

Cristina Navarro: The parish practices charity with the many available services that are rooted in service, self-sacrifice and love. The opportunities for prayer are many, with the ordinary and extraordinary form of mass, lauds, vespers, and Eucharistic Adoration.

The priests untiringly remind us of these resources and challenge us to live out our faith in the way we think and act.

REGINA: Can you tell us how St Edward’s has affected you?

Cristina Navarro: You see, I was a cradle and nominal Catholic for the first 40 years of my life, and like many others, I unknowingly bought into the temporary pleasure and lies of the secular and material world. I was finally awakened after attending a very solemn and deeply reverent Sung Mass at St. Edward almost four years ago. For the first time in a very long time, I worshipped and focused only on God for the entire duration of the Mass.

Tes Yabut: I have to give a little background on why I left my home Parish and why I have tried different Churches around the area for months before I found my way back to St. Edward’s, as I mentioned above.

In the past years, I have witnessed not a few of the liturgical minimalism and irreverence that have come to characterize the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in so many places.

At St Edward’s (in contrast) in 2008, our pastor had our Chapel renovated with a simple Crucifix and images of the Divine Mercy and Our Lady of Guadalupe on either side, with donated and refinished pews from the old cathedral.

This Chapel is a sacred place for us. Father Keyes starts the day at 5:30 am for our daily Eucharistic Adoration & Lauds at 6:15 a.m. In the evening, we also have our daily Eucharistic Adoration from 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. and Vespers is sung at 4:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays have a slightly different schedule to allow time in between Masses. There is a steady number of people who attend these daily. This has become a source of piety and nourishment for our personal prayer.

REGINA: Cristina, you mentioned your family as well. Has St Edward’s helped your family?

Cristina Navarro: The parish also aided in bringing back a family member whose last recollection of receiving the Eucharist was once, when he was 10 years old. Fifty years later, after only a year of attending St. Edward, this family member went back to Confession, is now regularly receiving the sacraments, and continue to grow in his faith and love of God.

REGINA: Why do you think that this parish is important?

Cristina Navarro: This parish is important to me, my family and the community because it provides so many meaningful opportunities to help grow in our relationship with Christ and deepen our understanding of our faith in a manner that is true to the Magisterium.

It teaches us effectively by exposing us to the wisdom and works of religious men and women, theologians and scholars through the Parish Mission, lectures, Bible studies, Faith Formation Classes, good book sales, religious film presentations, sacred relic expositions, and other media, like Catholic Radio and websites that keeps us involved in socially relevant issues, and enables us to easily help others.

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Real Women’s Voices

“What we learn from the church pew at St. Edward opens our eyes, minds and hearts to the Truth.”

Maria Silmaro: St Edward’s is the beacon of light here in the east Bay and the whole Bay Area. It is building families, educating the children and the adults in their Catholic faith and its liturgical celebrations are the most beautiful ‘heavenly’ experience an faithful and grateful Catholic could want. St Edward’s is very active in social justice works in the community.

REGINA: You sound like you have learned a great deal in the last four years.

Cristina Navarro: What we learn from the church pew at St. Edward opens our eyes, minds and hearts to the Truth. The priests here, especially Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, propagate the faith in a way that is focused on Christ and prayer first and foremost. The church building itself is an ideal environment for prayer, self-reflection, and the sacraments.

REGINA: Any last words?

Cristina Navarro: This parish converted me from years of being Pro-Choice to being an active Pro-Life advocate, from being a nominal Catholic to an active one, from an empty person to one filled with hope and love. It did so not by telling me to be one, but by giving me practical ways on how to be one.

Maria Silmaro: When we encountered our pastor we saw his faithfulness to God, in his priesthood, in the sacraments, in faith formation and most of all in prayer. We decided that our family will always support this faithful priest.

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Tes Yabut: I’d like to quote Bishop A. Saratellli on this: “Walk into any church today before Mass and you will notice that the silence that should embrace those who stand in God’s House is gone.

Even the Church is no longer a sacred place.

Gathering for Mass sometimes becomes as noisy as gathering for any other social event.

We may not have the ability to do much about the loss of the sacredness of life in the songs, videos and movies of our day. But, most assuredly, we can do much about helping one another recover the sacredness of God’s Presence in His Church.” “[…] In church, we need to cultivate a sense of God who is present to us. This is why we are called to observe moments of silence, both before Mass begins and during Mass. Liturgy is much more than our joining together. It is our opening ourselves to God. By our singing and praying, we respond to the God who addresses us in Liturgy. A constant torrent of words and songs filling every empty space in the Liturgy does not leave the heart the space it needs to rest quietly in the Divine Presence…”

So, I make Bishop Saratelli’s words mine too: We can do much about helping one another recover the sacredness of God’s presence in His church. •

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Falling in love with REGINA is like falling in love with PARIS. Click HERE to subscribe FREE. 148 Regina Magazine | Amazing Parishes

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The

OXFORD ORATORY The Catholic Church of Saint Aloysius Article By:

Donna Sue Berry

Photo Credit:

Oxford Oratory

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hat the Catholic Church thinks in centuries is illustrated by the unlikely tale of the founding of the Oratory in the famed university town of Oxford, England. Our story begins in Rome in the sixteenth century, when St. Philip Neri created his ‘Oratory,’ a community where the bond between its members was not a formal canonical vow, but a bond of charity. His ideal was one in which the members of the Oratory would strive to live community life and priestly service in a spirit of prayer wherein obedience is offered out of fraternal love.

Three hundred years later in England, Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman had a dream, too. It was for a congregation of the Oratory in Oxford, where he had been a student and professor for much of his life. A hundred years later, Newman’s wish was fulfilled in 1990 when the parish church of St. Aloysius Gonzaga was entrusted to the Fathers of the Oratory. St. Aloysius Catholic Church had been built in 1875 and served by Jesuit Fathers, successors of those who kept the Catholic Faith alive in Oxford during the years of persecution.

By 1993, the numbers in the community had increased such that the Oxford Oratory was formally established as an independent house. Today, this amazing parish’s Masses are filled with ardent Catholics and converts from all over the world. The Oratory’s Provost and Pastor, Daniel Seward, recently commented on the situation there to Regina Magazine’s Donna Sue Berry.

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The Oxford Oratory IN RECENT YEARS MEMORIALS AND PROCESSIONS HAVE HONORED THE OXFORD MARTYRS such as St Edmund Campion, St Nicholas Owen, Blessed Humphrey Pritchard and many others, a reminder to Catholics that we are not the first generation to have to proclaim the Gospel in a hostile culture.

REGINA: Fr. Seward, Can you tell us about the Fathers and Brothers of the Oratory? Most of us are more familiar with religious orders, but do not have a clear understanding of the Oratorian vocation. Do you have a Superior and rules?

A. St Philip Neri founded the Congregation of the Oratory in Rome in 1575 as a community of priests, living in community with a Rule, but without vows.

That means that we are ‘secular’ priests, not a religious order, but that we have a community structure and discipline. When he is clothed as an Oratorian, the new member states his intention to remain until death. We have a saying, “A son of St Philip is known only on his deathbed” because it is only then that we can know that we have persevered.

Normally an Oratorian would expect to stay in the same house for the whole of his life and every house is completely independent. We are subject not to the diocesan bishop but directly to the Holy See. The Superior is called the Provost and is elected for three years at a time. In the house he is known simply as “The Father”.

REGINA: How many live in Community? Is there a period of discernment and novitiate?

A. We have at present eight members of the community, two of whom are at our new foundation in York. The time of the novitiate lasts for three years, after which a man becomes a triennial Father. After a further three years he is able to vote in the General Congregation, which decides all the business of the Congregation.

REGINA: I understand that Mass is celebrated in both English and Latin, in the Ordinary form.

Have you found more interest in Latin in the last few years?

A. At the Oxford Oratory we have celebrations in the Ordinary Form, both in English and Latin, and al

so in the Extraordinary Form. It has always been a charism of the Oratory to celebrate the sacred liturgy with great reverence and devotion. It has been our experience that this is always a way to draw people to God – just as St Philip used music, art and beauty to encourage people to love God in the sixteenth century. Latin is obviously part of the Church’s heritage, and in a city like Oxford with people coming from all over the world, it expresses the universality of the Church.

“With the help of God the care and preservation of this venerable building will continue so that new generations of Catholics will be able to give glory to God within His Holy house!”

REGINA: Have you had people return to the Faith because of the Latin? Is the congregation growing as we are seeing in other churches that have begun to use Latin?

A. Many Catholics, especially the young, now come to Latin and the solemn celebration of the liturgy for the first time, and they identify it as something which raises them above the level of the everyday. Nobody is going to be attracted if the Church adapts herself to contemporary culture – we have to offer them something supernatural, something divine.

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SAINTS AT OXFORD: ‘Many Catholics, especially the young, now come to Latin and the solemn celebration of the liturgy for the first time, and they identify it as something which raises them above the level of the everyday.’

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The Oxford Oratory

THE RELIC CHAPEL – DEDICATED TO OUR LADY OF OXFORD. The 19th century original collection includes some extraordinary autograph letters of saints, including St Ignatius Loyola and St Catherine of Siena.

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Q. I hear there are quite a few intellectual types converting to Catholicism at the Oratory. Can you tell me if this is true, and has there been an increase in interest in the faith overall with an increase in conversions?

definite decision to do so.

A. Those who come to Mass here come from a huge variety of backgrounds, but obviously being in a University city it is important to show that the Faith has an intellectual rigour and consistency. Oxford is fortunate in having many different religious orders present – Dominicans, Benedictines, Jesuits, Franciscans, Salesians and Carmelites. All this makes us able to show that the Church is alive. This is so important in Oxford, which is increasingly a very secular environment. So yes, there are figures from the University who have become Catholics, and indeed any young person who practices the Faith today has made a very

A. They tend to be more in rural areas, associated with old Catholic families – such as the Eystons at East Hendred and Mapledurham or the Stonors at Stonor Park,

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Q. Do you have any recusant families who remained loyal to Rome and did not attend the Church of England?

Q. What about English Catholics with Irish backgrounds whose families came over during the famine?

A. In the past, those of Irish descent made up the bulk of the Catholic Church in England. Today, you are just as likely to find Catholics of Polish, Filipino or other origins.

The Oxford Oratory (Left) SANCTUARY CEILING: Latin is obviously part of the Church’s heritage, and in a city like Oxford with people coming from all over the world, it expresses the universality of the Church.

(Right) IN 2010, AN ALTAR WAS BUILT TO BLESSED JOHN HENRY NEWMAN to coincide with his beatification by Pope Benedict XVI. The shrine was unveiled and blessed by the Archbishop of Birmingham, the Very Rev Bernard Longley, two days after the beatification.

“Those who come to Mass here come from a huge variety of backgrounds, but obviously being in a University city it is important to show that the Faith has an intellectual rigour and consistency.”

Q. Do you find that you have a lot of International students coming to the Oratory for Mass?

A. Yes – and we have a lot of visiting American students, who are often impressive in their fervour and devotion.

Q. England has such a rich history of Catholic martyrs; does there seem to be more of a keen interest in these Saints?

A. In recent years there have been memorials and processions organized in Oxford to the large number of martyrs from this city – people like St Edmund Campion, St Nicholas Owen, Blessed Humphrey Pritchard and many others. They are a reminder to us that we are not the first generation to have to proclaim the Gospel in a hostile culture!

Q. Tell us about the Oratory Church of St. Aloysius Gonzaga. How many side chapels does it have? Are Masses said in them? I have read that the Our Lady of Oxford Chapel used to be called the Relic Chapel, why is that?

A. Masses are regularly celebrated at all our altars.

There is the Sacred Heart Chapel, the Lady Chapel, St Philip’s Chapel and the Relic Chapel – dedicated to Our Lady of Oxford. The relics come from many sources, but the original collection was formed by Hartwell de la Garde Grissell in the nineteenth century and includes some extraordinary autograph letters of saints, including St Ignatius Loyola and St Catherine of Siena.

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The Oxford Oratory

A STATUE OF JESUS AS THE GOOD SHEPHERD INSTALLED IN 2005, to replace one of St Aloysius that had been smashed by vandals.

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The Oxford Oratory

CONFESSIONAL DOORS, OXFORD ORATORY: ‘Yes, there are figures from the University who have become Catholics, and indeed any young person who practices the Faith today has made a very definite decision to do so.’

Q. Do you have a chapel that is dedicated to Blessed John Henry Newman?

A. We have a shrine to Blessed John Henry in the church, which was created at the time of his beatification. In the long term we hope to build a separate chapel in his honour – but there is a lot of money to raise before that!

Q. What are you raising funds for?

A. The Oxford Oratory’s Reaffirmation & Renewal Campaign began in 2007. Its aim is to raise £5 million in order to carry out extensive building work, renovation on the church and its associated buildings.

Many renovations have already been completed with many more projects left to do. • To find out more: The Oxford Oratory Catholic Church of St Aloysius Gonzaga 25 Woodstock Road Oxford Ox2 6HA Telephone: (01865) 315800 Email: parish@oxfordoratory.org.uk Visit www.oxfordoratory.org.uk

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How

Sleepy Hollow got its Latin Mass back Article by: Ed Masters

Photo Credit: Ann Whelan

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hirty miles north of ‘the city that never sleeps,’ nestled in the lovely Hudson Valley, is the town of Sleepy Hollow. Formerly called ‘North Tarrytown,’ the place was made famous by Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Here stands a charming masonry church in the old English Gothic-style, thanks to the Episcopalians who constructed it in the 19th century.

Since 1957, it has been Immaculate Conception Church, and for decades it was home to the Italian-speaking immigrant families who once were numerous there.

The Latin Mass was celebrated in this parish until the liturgical changes imposed in the wake of Vatican II, more than 40 years ago.

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How Sleepy Hollow Got it’s Latin Mass Back

Unsung Heroes How the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) came to Immaculate Conception is fascinating, as the tale involves the efforts of numerous Catholics, who are for the most part unsung heroes.

The original home of this Mass was not even in Sleepy Hollow but miles away at Manhattanville College in Purchase, NY. There, the TLM began circa 1988, thanks to the efforts of author and publisher Roger McCaffrey and Ecclesia Dei. The Mass was celebrated at the College at various times by such staunch defenders as Father John Perricone, Monsignor Ignacio Barreiro Carambula (who headed the Rome office of Human Life International) and the late Cardinal Ignatius Kung, who spent over 30 years imprisoned for the Faith in Communist China.

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From there the TLM moved to the hamlet of Pocantico Hills, where it was celebrated at Magdalen Church from 1994 until 2001. It moved to its current home at Immaculate Conception Church thanks to former pastor Monsignor Louis Mazza. That same year, as the TLM settled in its new home, its future stability was virtually assured as it became affiliated with Una Voce International through the work of parishioners Ann and Peter Whelan.

When the TLM and its adherents arrived, Msgr. Louis Mazza gave the group three months to ‘make an impression’ if they wanted to remain there. They did so, and Msgr. Mazza was subsequently both helpful and supportive, even hearing Confessions for attendees at 2:30 on Sundays before Mass on a regular basis.

The Mass and it Beautiful Schola Today These days, the Mass attracts 100-150 attendees on an average Sunday, with services held at 3:00 PM; Mass is celebrated later on Holy Days of Obligation. Since 2001, there has been an even influx and outgo of attendees, due mainly to economic conditions in New York State, and in that respect it proportionately reflects immigration to and emigration from NY State.

Having services at 3:00 PM may seem like an inconvenience to some, but consider the testimony of Tom McCardle, author and father of eight children and a regular attendee at Immaculate Conception.

“Having Mass at 3:00 PM means not having get up all these kids early on a Sunday morning,” says Mr. Mc Cardle, “they and other kids can sleep in and there’s no need to rush around and get them all ready for Mass.”

There are more than a few large families at Immaculate Conception; many are home schooled, and a handful of boys from these help out as altar servers.

Older children volunteer to sing in the choir.

The schola at Immaculate Conception is a semiprofessional group that meets before Mass every Sunday to practice and refine their singing. When there is a Missa Cantata, some of the best professional singers in New York and Connecticut join them. Founded by David Hughes (now Music Director at St Mary’s

THE SCHOLA AT IMMACULATE CONCEPTION is a semiprofessional group that meets before Mass every Sunday to practice and refine their singing under the direction of Art Bryan Manabat.

Norwalk link: (http://reginamag.com/prayer-prudence-and-courage/), it is now directed by Art Bryan Manabat.

Life Under the Eparchy of St. Maron In 2013 Monsignor Louis Mazza retired as Pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish. In August of 2014 the Archdiocese of New York sold the church property to the Eparchy of St. Maron in Brooklyn and its Ordinary, Bishop Gregory J. Mansour.

Father Dany Abi Akar, who is bi-ritual in both the Maronite Rite and the Novus Ordo, reassured Latin Rite parishioners there that there would be no changes in their Masses and that “Immaculate Conception would always be your church.”

Sundays see the Novus Ordo Mass celebrated there at 10:00 AM, the Maronite Rite celebrated at 11:30 AM and the Traditional Latin Mass said at 3:00 PM. •

PALM SUNDAY PROCESSION Rev. Richard Trezza, O.Cap., Canon Jean Moreau, ICKSP, and Rev. Richard Munkelt.

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Three Young Deacons Speak

By Beverly De Soto

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tatistics across the West indicate that we may be at the nadir of an alarming plunge in seminarians that dates back to 1965. The prestige of the priesthood has been all but shattered, the traditional respect accorded priests a casualty of the clerical sex abuse crisis which erupted across the West. In many places, anti-clericalism is on the rise, as Catholic priests have been targeted by extremists and secular media with a ferocity unprecedented in the last three generations.

Moreover, post Vatican II, Catholics no longer understand the priesthood as it has been understood for two thousand years – literally, the priest ‘in persona Christi’ for his people. Hence, calls for ‘reform’ are loudest from those who have not been taught and who cannot understand why the role of a Catholic priest is simply not the same as that of clerics in other religions.

So, what would make a young man elect the Catholic priesthood at a time like this?

Rev Mr. Matthew Reiman, 27, grew up in Hawthorne, New York and graduated from Marist College with a degree in history in 2009. Rev. Mr. Seán Connolly, 26, grew up in nearby Ossining and graduated from The College of the Holy Cross with a Classics degree in 2010. Rev Mr. Alessandro da Luz, 25, grew up in East Northport on Long Island and graduated from St. Joseph’s College with a B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science and a minor in philosophy. Each has his own perspective on the unique situation he finds himself in – studying for the priesthood at the Dunwoodie Seminary of the Archdiocese of New York. Each has recently been ordained a deacon – the penultimate step to the priesthood. In this revealing and extensive interview with REGINA Magazine, the three deacons speak their minds.

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Three Young Deacons Speak

“I took my time discerning my vocation but my final decision to enter the seminary came all at once with great joy and suddenness” -Rev Mr. Matthew Reiman

REGINA: When did you first know you had a vocation?

Rev Mr. Alessandro da Luz: I first knew I had a vocation when I was in seventh grade. I had recently joined the altar servers in my new parish, Christ the King in Commack, NY. Fr. Simon Fernando asked me to serve the Holy Mass on the evening of Holy Thursday. That was my first time serving (and even attending) one of the liturgies of the Sacred Triduum. I was moved by the beauty of the liturgical ceremonies, and drawn deeper into the mystery of the Holy Eucharist.

At the same time, I saw the beauty and the gift of the priesthood, and saw it as something I could do someday. I kept these feelings to myself, but was certainly very interested in the priesthood.

Rev Mr. Matthew Reiman: I first knew that I had a vocation to the priesthood during my time in college.

I was raised in the faith but at various times in my life I was not practicing the faith. During my freshman year of college I rediscovered my Catholic faith in a profound way that humbled me and changed how I

viewed everything around me. It began when I was handed a copy of the Catechism by a good friend of mine who told me if I had questions about the Faith that I should use this resource to find the answers.

Soon after that, my attendance at Sunday Mass deepened my belief in the real presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist. I began to also learn a great deal about the social teachings of the Church.

I also saw clearly the destructive progressive spirit which has a grip on so many in my generation and how the prevailing practical atheism leaves many without answers and without hope. A critical moment in my own discernment process was Pope Benedict’s motu propio “Summorum Pontificum” in 2007. Around the time of this landmark document I found myself, by coincidence, at a Traditional Latin Mass. It was a great moment in my own deepening of faith because the beauty of the liturgical action, the chant, the prayerful silence, and the great care and reverence shown for the Blessed Sacrament all confirmed all that I had been feeling and made me feel intimately connected with my own Catholic ancestors and the many saints Regina Magazine

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MY GRANDFATHER’S DEVOTION HAD A PROFOUND IMPACT ON ME and coincided with my first experience of Catholic schooling at Fordham Prep. This is definitely the time of my life when the seed of my vocation was planted within me.

-- Rev. Mr. Seán Connolly

who experienced Mass this way for their entire lives.

It was with great emotion that I recognized more fully that the communion of the Church is not only throughout the world but through time and that what was once holy and perfect is always holy and perfect. It was at this time that I rediscovered the fullness of the Catholic Church’s liturgical and theological traditions.

I began to reflect seriously on the unique role of the priest as mediator between God and man as well as minister of the sacraments of salvation. I had many good impressions of priests from my younger years, especially from my early experiences in the confessional. I also was fortunate to have a good priest who helped to encourage me in my own vocation as I watched him live out his as a college chaplain.

I also began to turn more and more to our Blessed Mother in prayer; constantly calling to mind her fiat.

Rev. Mr. Seán Connolly: I attended government schooling throughout my childhood and thought very little of the spiritual life. Although I was blessed with loving parents who ensured my brother and I received all of our sacraments, while growing up I did not have a deep appreciation or awareness of the truth, goodness and beauty found in my Catholic heritage. This type of childhood experience with regard to the Faith is unfortunately all too common today. We live in an increasingly secularized world beset by so many erroneous ideas. It has been difficult for the youth of my generation to navigate these treacherous waters to come to know the saving truths of Jesus Christ.

During my high school years I began spending more time with my devout grandfather as he neared the end of his life.

Every Sunday morning I would accompany him to Holy Mass and every Thursday afternoon we would make a visit together to our local parish church and kneel beside one another for a period of adoration of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. The witness of my grandfather’s tremendous humility before God inspired me greatly as I would watch him, a man I greatly esteemed in his old age and frailty but

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Three Young Deacons Speak “From the time spent with my pious grandfather to the inspiring example of a holy Jesuit priest in my high school and the many good lay faculty members there who provided me with such good guidance in these formative years of my life” without any inhibition, struggle with determination to genuflect and kneel before Our Eucharistic Savior.

My grandfather also taught me the importance of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary through the Holy Rosary. In looking back on the development of my vocation and how it has been protected over the years, I attribute this to the intercession of Our Lady. It was She who accompanied Her Priest-Son to the altar of the Cross and whom I believe has protected my own vocation, always accompanying me on the way to the altar.

My grandfather’s devotion had a profound impact on me and coincided with my first experience of Catholic schooling at Fordham Prep. This is definitely the time of my life when the seed of my vocation was planted within me. From the time spent with my pious grandfather to the inspiring example of a holy Jesuit priest in my high school and the many good lay faculty members there who provided me with such good guidance in these formative years of my life, a desire to serve God and His Church as a priest was instilled within me.

During my college years I had to confront the unfortunate circumstances of a pervasive liberal spirit that marked the general campus ethos. This same spirit has corrupted so much of academia today and has even beset so many of our own Catholic universities. At first, I had difficulty articulating my resistance to the many opinions circulating around campus. I knew in my heart they were just not right and I believe this was a special grace given by God to protect my vocation. To better understand my own Catholic 176 Regina Magazine | Amazing Parishes

faith, particularly in the context of the many challenges to it I was encountering, I began a period of study.

In those college years I read so much: from Sacred Scripture, to the lives of the saints, to the Catechism and more and more. What I read brought about a profound intellectual commitment to my Catholic Faith that naturally progressed from the mind to the heart and I began to pray more by hearing Mass daily and going to confession every week.

Also while studying abroad in Rome, I was able to discover the sublimity of the Traditional Latin Mass which had recently been made more widely available to the faithful by Pope Benedict XVI’s most generous Apostolic Letter, Summorum Pontificum. There is so much to appreciate about Holy Mass in the Classical Roman Rite, but what impacted my discernment of a vocation the most was the clear identity it gives to the priest as one who offers sacrifice. In beginning to attend and serve the Traditional Mass did the high dignity of the priest as the one who makes present on the altar the Sacrifice of Our Lord on Calvary become truly clear to me. At this Mass, there is no focus given to the individual personality of the priest but only the function of his sacred office which directs all attention to the worship of God. Through all of this reading and time spent in prayer, my vocation to the priesthood became abundantly clear to me. I am not able to explain this experience of “the call” in precise detail, for it is a mystery. What I do know is that I was able to determine that true happiness for me lay only in making a total consecration of myself to God in the service of His Church.

THE GREATEST THING THAT ATTRACTED ME TO THE PRIESTHOOD IS THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS, the greatest action and greatest prayer of any priest’s life. Day in and day out the priest opens the veil and enters into Calvary; Heaven touches earth on the altar. Rev Mr. Matthew Reiman

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REGINA: How did you react? How did your family react?

Rev Mr. Alessandro da Luz: As a seventh grader, my reaction was simply to hold the possibility open for when I got older. When I moved on to high school, the desire to be a priest remained, but was more in the background. I did not do anything actively to pursue the vocation or learn more about it. I continued to be involved in my parish as a server, and eventually as a master of ceremony and sacristan. I also worked in the parish office, which gave me a taste of what goes on “behind the scenes� in the life of a priest and his parish.

Near the end of high school, I again entertained the idea of becoming a priest. I had an experience through my involvement in Boy Scouts to go on a 50 mile backpacking trek with a priest and seminarian and Catholic Scouts from all over the country at a place called Philmont in New Mexico. The trek had leadership and spiritual components. The priest I hiked with, Msgr. Tom Coogan, also happened to 178 Regina Magazine | Amazing Parishes

be the vocations director for my diocese at the time.

I really was inspired by his enthusiasm and love for the priesthood. He encouraged me after the trip to participate in some vocations events, which I went to.

Though I had been interested, I decided not to enter the college seminary at that time, motivated by some uncertainty and fear. My family encouraged me to keep my options open, but to go and get my college degree first.

When I was in college, I continued my involvement at my parish and was given more responsibilities in my work at the parish in overseeing the sacristy and sacristans as well as the training of the altar servers.

At school, I also got involved with the Newman Club, which had many opportunities to grow spiritually and learn about the Catholic faith. The Newman Club sponsored two retreats each year and was one of the most popular clubs on campus. My love for God and the Church and my deepening spirituality made me come to desire the priesthood again. This time, I felt ready and my fears subsided. When I started to again seriously discern and then chose to enter the semi-

(Left) I HAD THE SUPPORT OF MY FAMILY. They knew this was what I was supposed to do and encouraged me to pursue the priestly vocation.

-- Rev Mr. Alessandro da Luz

nary, I had the support of my family. They knew this was what I was supposed to do and encouraged me to pursue the priestly vocation.

Rev Mr. Matthew Reiman: I was driving home on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul in 2008, shortly after the wonderful visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States, when I had a moment of great clarity in my vocation and truly felt that the Lord was calling me and that it was time to tell other people and begin the process. I told my parents and brothers shortly thereafter and their response was very favorable and encouraging. Two priests, who I am still close with today helped me greatly and answered many of my questions. One of them vested me for diaconate this past All Saint’s Day and the other, God willing, will vest me at my ordination to the sacred priesthood on May 23rd.

Rev. Mr. Seán Connolly: After this time of discernment I was never really nervous or uncertain about pursuing the vocation. I had prayed much to come

to know what God’s will was for me and I was determined to follow it. My family was at first hesitant.

They were encouraging me to take more time to think about things and rather than enter the seminary they wanted me to apply to graduate school. But it did not take long for them to realize my zeal for the priesthood was unwavering and they quickly became very supportive. The vocation has been a tremendous blessing for my family.

REGINA: What drew you to the diocesan priesthood?

Rev Mr. Matthew Reiman: I believe that I am called to be a parish priest. The parish priest lives and labors among the faithful and seeks to bring them closer to Christ and His Holy Church. The aspects of the parish life that attracted me to the diocesan priesthood the most are sacramental and liturgical. The parish priest enters the lives of the people as another Christ in the most joyful moments, the most difficult moments, and everything in between. He is a spiritual father Regina Magazine

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and brings the people to God and God to the people.

The greatest thing that attracted me to the priesthood is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the greatest action and greatest prayer of any priest’s life. Day in and day out the priest opens the veil and enters into Calvary; Heaven touches earth on the altar.

Rev Mr. Alessandro da Luz: I would have to say my active parish involvement was what led me to the vocation of the diocesan priesthood. I really enjoyed working around the parish and seeing the work that the priests there did. I also saw the happiness, example, and love of the priesthood demonstrated by the priests of my parish as I was growing up. The diocesan priesthood seemed to me like a natural fit. Additionally, I saw parishes as the primary place where the souls are located. It seemed to me that in the parish, I would have the greatest opportunities to save souls and make a difference in the lives of people.

Rev. Mr. Seán Connolly: In prayer and spiritual direction I determined with confidence a calling to serve the Church as a parish priest. It is in the parishes where so many souls are to be found and the mission of the priest today appears to be needed the most. There is a certain closeness the parish priest has to the faithful that I find appealing.

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It is a beautiful vocation to be with families at the most important moments of their lives when they approach the Church for the grace of the sacraments. I am excited for this mission which gives one the sense of being on the “front-lines” in the mission of saving souls and restoring a lost Catholic culture in our society.​ What has been most interesting about your formation experience so far?

Rev Mr. Matthew Reiman: The most interesting part of my formation so far has been my pastoral experiences in parishes, hospitals, and schools. I have learned that the life of a priest is full of surprises, work, and unexpected graces. The camaraderie of my peers is also very edifying and has helped me immensely during my time in the seminary. The men who are answering the call to the priesthood today are orthodox, full of zeal, and are willing to do whatever it takes to bring souls to Christ and His Church.

There is a great spirit of Eucharistic and Marian devotion in my seminary. My seminary experience has been enhanced by my experience as Master of Ceremonies for the seminary liturgies. The hermeneutic of continuity is as important in the liturgical life of the Church as it is in theology.

FINALLY, THERE IS THE EXAMPLE FOUND IN THE HOLINESS AND ZEAL OF ORTHODOX PRIESTS, (many who also happen to be young) who seek to proclaim the truth, to celebrate the sacred liturgy with dignity, and most importantly, to save souls. In the Church, there has been a recovery of the urgency of the mission of the salvation of souls.

-- Rev Mr. Alessandro da Luz

Rev Mr. Alessandro da Luz: The most interesting was a seminarian pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Rome in the summer of 2013 sponsored by the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre. The experience of visiting the holy sites of great importance in the life of Our Lord was profound, especially the basilicas of the Annunciation and the Holy Sepulchre. The holiness of these sites is palpable, and makes you feel really close to God. This pilgrimage was also my first time in Rome, which while short, gave me the opportunity to visit the four major basilicas, including St. Mary Major for the solemn Mass of the feast of its dedication.

I also had the opportunity to go to the Holy Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica every day while I was there, and to take the scavi tour to see the relics of St. Peter.

The most surprising experience of my seminary formation was probably the merging of the seminaries.

I had expected to complete my seminary training at Immaculate Conception in Huntington. Initially, this was a disappointment, but I have made many new friends at Dunwoodie. The new arrangement increased morale and gives more encouragement by the greater number of seminarians praying and studying together. Our class at Immaculate Conception was nine seminarians, but now we number 22. The experience we had as a class of being ordained deacons together in the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul at St. Joseph’s Seminary was very powerful, and those in attendance and who saw the pictures were certainly moved by the sight of a larger class!

Rev. Mr. Seán Connolly: Both the most interesting and the most surprising aspect of my formation experience is all that I have learned from my brother seminarians. My confreres are a continual reminder to me of God’s presence in our world. It is a great blessing to be able to witness firsthand their generous response to the Lord’s call and how He continually works in their lives. It is not easy for a young man to discern a vocation today. The world does not understand the religious vocation and often denigrates it. Discovering a vocation in the midst of the popular culture my generation was raised in is a miracle to me, for it seems impossible. Yet, in my own life and

discernment of a vocation and what I am so happy to be able to see in my confreres, God makes possible the impossible. This is difficult to understand, for it is a mystery. But, I am continually edified by the love my brother seminarians have for God and their desire to serve Him. Have you seen growth in the amount of youthful vocations?

Rev Mr. Matthew Reiman: I regret to say that the number of men who are studying for the priesthood is much lower than it should be. There are signs of hope, however. My class is the largest in many years to be ordained from my seminary. The “home grown” seminarian of the United States in 2015 is typically a young men who loves the traditions of the Church and is very motivated to serve the faithful by working very hard and zealously for souls. The more that diocese and vocations directors and parish priests emphasize the sacred and transcendent, the more vocations will be found.

Rev. Mr. Seán Connolly: I have been blessed to work with a number of youth discerning a vocation during my time in the seminary. I am happy to say some of them are now brother seminarians of mine with more who are currently in the applications process, thanks be to God. I attribute this to the many good priests in their lives who have fostered their own personal encounter with the Lord Jesus and who have set an inspiring example to them by displaying a clear priestly identity. The brokenness of today’s culture is becoming more and more apparent and young men will look to priests for guidance. They are not looking for novelty, but faithfulness. They want to know Christ and see His presence reflected in the priest.

One highly effective way I have seen attract vocations and one I can attest to by my own experience, is engaging men by restoring the dignity of the liturgy.

When a priest offers the Holy Mass with reverence men respond positively and can more easily come to understand the profound realities of the Mass. There is no greater advertisement for vocations than the Regina Magazine

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witness of a priest carrying out his sacred duties at the altar with reverence and love.

Rev Mr. Alessandro da Luz: I would definitely say there is a growth in the amount of youthful vocations.

Firstly, I would attribute this to the Year for Priests inaugurated by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009. This helped to improve the morale of our diocesan priests and raised awareness among the faithful about the necessity and beauty of the priestly vocation. Connected to this was Pope Benedict’s own priestly example of humble service, love for the Lord, and devout, attentive care to the sacred liturgy.

Secondly, I would attribute the growth to a desire present in many young people today to serve others.

Many young people today are looking to get involved 182 Regina Magazine | Amazing Parishes

in helping the less fortunate and those around the world who are in need. The idea of living a life not for oneself seems to be attractive to young people. The priesthood is a life of sacrifice, lived for others, so to me it makes sense that young men today would be more interested.

Finally, there is the example found in the holiness and zeal of orthodox priests, (many who also happen to be young) who seek to proclaim the truth, to celebrate the sacred liturgy with dignity, and most importantly, to save souls. In the Church, there has been a recovery of the urgency of the mission of the salvation of souls.

The Catholic priesthood is necessary for that mission.

This sense of a mission that cannot be entrusted to just anyone is attractive to young men and gives them a sense of purpose. •

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They Hav Dream

LA’s Parish in Search of

ve a

f a Church

By Beverly De Soto

F

ather James Fryar of the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter (FSSP) has been invited by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to found a parish there. REGINA Magazine caught up with Fr. Fryar and his intrepid band of parishioners-without-a-parish recently. Here’s what they told us

Father James Fryar: “The places where we are saying Mass and the home blessings are a mere ‘whetting of the appetite’ compared to what we will have. Still, it is much appreciated. The people of Los Angeles are hungering for what the FSSP has to offer.”

REGINA: What is your dream, Father Fryar?

A. We hope to have a parish like the other parishes of the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter that people have come to know and love throughout the world. A place that is safe for our children. A place where we can visit and enjoy the company of Catholics who are striving to save their souls. A place where processions are common. Where conferences are often. Where there are youth groups, young adult groups, ongoing education for adults, Legion of Mary, and all the many Societies and Confraternities that were common in parishes before the changes of the 60’s. In a word: our home away from home. A home that has Christ and the Mass at its center. That is what we are going to establish.

REGINA: You have attracted a good number of Catholics; what have you been up to in the last few months?

A. The places where we are saying Mass and the home blessings are a mere ‘whetting of the appetite’ compared to what we will have. Still, it is much appreciated. The people of Los Angeles are hungering for what 188 Regina Magazine | Amazing Parishes

the FSSP has to offer. This is an exciting moment for the city! Much overdue and most needed!

REGINA: You have also attracted some extraordinary talent, as well?

When I was first assigned to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of providing a parish for the FSSP in Los Angeles, I got on the phone with a very close friend of mine and asked him if he move to LA to be our choir director. In spite of the great sacrifice that this will cause him and his family, he energetically said yes!

I first met Mr Ostrowski when I sang in his choir in Kansas. I was still a subdeacon at the time. Impressed with his compositions for our Masses each week, I asked him if he could compose the music for my First Mass. Not only did he compose the music, but he trained a choir of around 70 voices, many of whom were not professional musicians and practiced with him for about half a year. The Best Mass of my life was the most amazing Mass anyone present had ever seen!’

‘That was the beginning of what has become a lifelong

SAN FELIPE CHAPEL: Six months ago from the other side of the country, Fr Fryar initiated conversations at “the Table” on the FSSP.LA website. These continue now in person after Mass at San Felipe, Mondays after 7:00 pm Mass and Conference, at the potluck suppers after Sunday evening Mass at St Victor’s and just recently when he visited 100 Catholic homes for Epiphany Blessings.

dedication to Sacred Music for Mr Ostrowski. He has since directed several church choirs, taught high school, contributed to the Church Music Association of America and much more.

will achieve that, but that is my vision and what I am shooting for. I want precise and perfect liturgy that people can look to as: “How is the Mass celebrated in LA?”

REGINA has interviewed Jeff Ostrowski about his Campion Missal, which was released last year.

The choir is an essential part of the liturgy. Oftentimes parishes give much attention to the liturgy within the sanctuary - the beauty of the vestments and the precision of the altar servers etc. However the choir is forgotten or neglected. This is like hobbling around on one leg. One of the columns of the liturgy is missing.

He is currently President of Corpus Christi Watershed. He has compiled, written and created amazing Hymnals, including the Campion Hymnal... Other hymnals that he has made are the Vatican II Hymnal (for the Ordinary Form) and most recently the St. Isaac Jogues Missal and Hymnal. His missals and hymnals are far superior to all others in the quality of content and presentation. He also provides an online library of sacred music resources that is used by choir directors throughout the world, and he is continuously adding to these resources.

Instead, we are going to do this right. From the ground up we are going to have a liturgy that sits firmly on the two strong columns of a good choir and good servers.

To have perfect liturgy in LA I would like to push not only for a choir, but a music program. Eventually even have a choir school where children could be formed in Sacred Music.

REGINA: What are your plans for Mr Ostrowski in your new parish?

My vision for FSSP of LA is to make a parish that is second to none. In the world. I do not know if we

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They Have a Dream IAN PULLEY & FAMILY: “We had decided to relocate to St Francis de Sales in Atlanta. Then we learned the Fraternity would be sending a priest to Los Angeles. We met Fr Fryar and were joyful that God had sent us such a good and holy priest. We have since put our plans of relocating on indefinite suspension in order to lend our help, material support and prayers to Fr Fryar.”

Ian Pulley, 30, is an Emergency Medical Technician, and JoAnne is his mother.

Charles Coulombe, 31, is an accountant and business manager. Ida Moe Nge is a laboratory assistant. Elizabeth Acosta is a wife, mother and grandmother who is also a Certified Public Accountant.

What sort of people start an amazing parish? What motivates them? What challenges do they encounter?

REGINA Magazine recently discussed their quest with these would-be parishioners in search of their ‘spiritual home’.

REGINA: What is the situation now in Los Angeles?

Charles Coulombe: Los Angeles is a very big city, it’s way too much for just one person, it’s way too much for three priests to do the Mass so we need as many as possible. There are people in many areas who want to have Latin Masses but we don’t have the personnel.

Elizabeth Acosta: This is a very large multi-city multi-County Archdiocese, the largest in the United States, with very dense traffic, so we need to provide Father Fryar and all the parishioners with our own church. And this will not happen with one or two big donors; this will happen when a lot of caring people help us in raising the funds that we need to get a church!

Ian Pulley: We attend Mass at 7pm Sunday at St Victor in West Hollywood. Fr. Fryar was graciously granted permission to celebrate the Latin Mass there indefinitely.

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REGINA: Why is the Latin Mass so important to you?

Elizabeth Acosta: I have been able to rediscover my Catholic faith and tradition thanks to Father Fryar’s tireless work of showing us how beautiful, holy and grace-filled the Liturgy is. So in 2014 and 2015 I was able to attend Midnight Christmas Mass in the Extraordinary Form, something that I hadn’t seen since I was a little girl. He also organized a Solemn High Mass with Priest, Deacon and Subdeacon for All Souls Day in Holy Cross Cemetery Mausoleum, blessed wine in the Feast of St. John the Apostle, and went to 100 homes to give Epiphany blessings.

Ian Pulley: I heard a lot of talk about Vatican II and how it changed the way the Church does things. I read Vatican II’s Sacrosanctum Concilium and found no prescription for any of the changes to the Mass I saw in my parish and so many of the Ordinary Form parishes I had visited. This is when I began to learn more about the Latin Mass, that it was the authentic Mass of the Church.

“My vision for FSSP of LA is to make a parish that is second to none. In the world. I do not know if we will achieve that, but that is my vision and what I am shooting for.�

I’m not a schismatic. I knew not to seek out any church that was not in communion with Rome. My mother told me about the Fraternity. Over the course of several months my wife and I searched for Fraternity parishes. We found a Latin Mass community in the meanwhile, but because diocesan seminaries are not producing priests that celebrate the Latin Mass, I knew our days there would be numbered.

I thought if I could at least watch the daily Mass from a computer; so on the internet I found an app, ‘IMASS,’ for both IOS and android operating systems. When I bought the android one and found that I could not make it work properly, I emailed someone for assistance. It turned out it was Father Fryar who was the developer! Little could I have guessed that he would become my Pastor!

REGINA: How did you find Fr Fryar?

Sometime in early 2014 I found out about Una Voce LA and George Sarah, its President. I then joined his email list and found out that a priest from FSSP was coming to Los Angeles and was going to be offering the Mass of St. Joseph on March 19th at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Wilmington, so my husband and I were present and that’s the first time that we saw Father Fryar.

Elizabeth Acosta: I had been attending a TLM once a month in Orange County for a couple of years where my daughter and her family attend on Sundays with the intention of helping her during Mass with her children. By the end of 2013 I had become very interested in finding weekday Masses, but the only ones in the Los Angeles Archdiocese were held in Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, close to 3 hours away!

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Charles Coulombe: I met Father Fryar in 2009 at San

They Have a Dream

(Far Left) Father James Fryar, FSSP blessing candles for a Candlemas procession in Los Angeles, California Charles Coulombe: We went to parishes with traditional Mass communities and stood outside gathering signatures: Lancaster, Long Beach, Los Alamitos, Glendora, we went to all four corners of the archdiocese to get signatures. Una Voce LA gained about 1000 signatures; Una Voce Ventura gathered about 600 signatures.

Buenaventura Mission in Ventura California. He was doing a retreat there, and I volunteered to serve. I was Vice President of Una Voce Los Angeles with George Sarah as President and we started a petition about two years ago to bring the FSSP here. Archbishop Gomez asked George Sarah to do the petition; you had to be in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to be able to sign it.

We sent them into the Archdiocese around March 2013 but they were temporarily put on hold. In March 2014 we were told that the Fraternity was coming. I got to meet Father Fryar, went to lunch with him and discussed some plans. We started the Parish in August 2014 and here we are!

Ida Moe Nge: Although baptized as a Catholic, I was not raised as one. I used to go to a Baptist Bible study class and in there one night they were studying the passage of Luke 8:19-21 where Jesus is told that his

mother and brothers were looking for Him, and in the class the instructor was saying that the Blessed Virgin Mary was not a Virgin, so I realized that I had to go elsewhere to learn about the Catholic faith.

After reading about Our Lady of Fatima and learning how to pray the Rosary I realized that She was guiding my soul spiritually step by step. Soon after that I joined a Legion of Mary Praesidium in a church that offers one of the very few Extraordinary Form Masses on Sunday in the Los Angeles area.

It was in the lobby of that church, on a table with Una Voce LA books that I learned about the Liturgical changes that had occurred and I started to long for the FSSP to come to Los Angeles. So finally Father Fryar arrived!

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They Have a Dream

“Jeff Ostrowski will be able to lead the music department in a way that will have the quality of the choir match the quality of the serving, and we will be able to strive for a perfect liturgy. Because God is perfect. And liturgy worthy of Him should also be perfect.�

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Charles Coulombe: “My hope is that when we do establish the Fraternity Church it will be in a central location where other priests can learn the Latin Mass, altar servers, choir members, etc. It takes me approximately six months to train a priest. So we need a central training location for priests, altar servers and choir members. That’s why we urgently need our own Church!”

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INTREPID LA CATHOLICS: Christie Kwan, Elizabeth Acosta, Fr James Fryar, Ido Moe Nge, Gerardo Garcia, Charles Coulombe, Jo Anne Pulley, Anthony Perlas

Ian Pulley: I found the FSSP during my search for orthodoxy within the Catholic Church. I converted to the One, True Faith on Easter 2012 in an Ordinary Form parish. Soon thereafter, my eyes were opened to the grave issues within the Church. As my knowledge of the Faith grew, the small things that belie an erroneous theology became evident to me. Why was the tabernacle of our Lord not in the sanctuary? Why do so many insist on receiving our Lord in the hand while standing? Why does the music sound so removed from anything resembling holy, reverent music? Why do so many come late and leave early? Why are there girls acting as altar servers? When I learned the truth of what things mean and what things represent, I could not stay in the kind of parish that could put my mortal soul, and the souls of my family in danger. I must be solicitous for my salvation and the salvation of my family.

REGINA: What is your hope for finding a church?

Charles Coulombe: At the very beginning Father Fryar had three plans: Plan A was that hopefully the Di196 Regina Magazine | Amazing Parishes

ocese would have something for us. Plan B was to basically look around and see if we could find a church to buy. The Archdiocese is willing to subsidize us so if we can come up with a certain amount they will come up with the rest, depending on how much it is.

Plan C, which is where it looks like where we’re going now, is to actually rent a place, look for a place like where we are now and then end up building our own place, hopefully as close as possible to the center of Los Angeles. And the reason for that is because it’s a big city and if we were to go anywhere else it would take twice as long to get anywhere, taking into account traffic patterns and all.

Ian Pulley: We have limited financial means, but our tithe goes to the Fraternity. We stay after Mass for a short time to talk with our fellow parishioners. My wife and I do not attend Father’s weekly conferences due to our work schedules and also owing to the fact we have a small child. Beyond that, all I can offer at this point in time is prayer and penance. I am hopeful that we will find a parish. There are obstacles that

They Have a Dream FATHER JOSEPH LEE, ACADEMIC DEAN OF FSSP SEMINARY CHALKING THE EPIPHANY BLESSING: “Some of us have started to say extra prayers and penance on Fridays so that Father, the altar servers and others can get to their various destinations safely. And with all this incredible amount of driving and activity you never hear anyone complaining or grumbling.

It is truly a faithful community.” Elizabeth Acosta Ida Moe Nge: I really thank Almighty God, Our Lady and Pope Benedict XVI for granting permission to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass for all of us. I hope that soon we will have our own Church where we can attend the Extraordinary Form Mass without Father having to go from place to place to do so and with all of us driving around to attend, kind of like lost sheep.

stand before Father, but many of his parishioners are offering prayers and penance for this very purpose.

I am confident the Lord will continue to provide for His unworthy servants.

Elizabeth Acosta: I have high hopes that we will have our own Church soon. Father Fryar, the altar servers, choir members and parishioners make many sacrifices to be able to sustain the present arrangement of being a parish without a church.

Jo Anne Pulley: On the fourth Sunday of Advent Fr Fryar closed his series of sermons on the Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form with a reference to a particular place in Rome where, by looking through a keyhole, one can see three countries. He then said, “The Mass is the keyhole to Heaven. Look through this keyhole. You have to die to get closer to God than this.”

my neighbors. I want to know what God expects of us in our submission, our obedience, in adoration, in the worship due Him and in right praise. I found that in the Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form. What Fr Fryar is bringing to us is a parish life built around the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass not only on Sunday but every day.

So what’s missing? A church or the land to build a church. We continue to petition God with prayers for the finding and funding of our “home away from Home. “ I have faith those prayers will be answered.

But faith is a two way street. We ask for this from God. God requires something from us. He has given us time, talent, and treasure. How shall we use them for His greater glory?

This is what I want. This is what I want for my son and his family, for my grandchildren. This is what I want for my friends and their loved ones. I want this for

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The Ongoing Novenas Holy Innocents Church in New York City won a reprieve from the New York Archdiocese in late 2014; they received this marvelous news upon completion of their third 54-day Rosary Novena.

Upon learning this, it occurred to Elizabeth Acosta that praying 54-day Rosary Novenas to “ask Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary for a Church for our parish would be a wonderful collective effort that would unite us and grant us our wish of a church.

“With Father Fryar’s blessing and approval we started our first 54-day Rosary Novena on Sunday, November 16th, 2014, and we just started a second Novena on January 9th, 2015, the day after we finished the first Novena,” she said. “This novena is comprised of three novenas of the prayers of the Rosary in petition and three novenas of the prayers

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of the Rosary in thanksgiving. The novena consists of five decades of the Rosary (one set of mysteries) each day for twenty-seven days in petition; then immediately five decades each day for an additional twenty-seven days in thanksgiving, regardless of whether or not the request has been granted yet. To do the novena properly one must pray the Rosary for 54 consecutive days, without missing a day, and must pray the particular Mystery indicated for that day following the correct sequence. The first day of the novena always begins with the Joyful Mysteries (regardless of what day of the week the novena is started); the second day, the Sorrowful Mysteries are prayed; and the third day of the novena the Glorious Mysteries are prayed. The fourth day of the novena begins again with the Joyful Mysteries and continues on in that sequence throughout the 54 days of the novena.” •

Jo Anne Pulley: The Divine Redeemer claimed the victory for my soul on the Cross. But the battle is mine to lose.

What is the value of my soul? What is the value of the souls of those I love? Immeasurable. Nothing less than immeasurable. Whatever time, whatever talent, whatever treasure I claim was never mine to begin with. In His time and according to His Will, we will have a church.

And toward that end, whatever time, talent and treasure I claim is offered to Our Lord with a grateful heart to further that effort.

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In the South of France With the Fraternity of St. Joseph Guardian Article By:

David Campos

Photo Credit:

David Campos

F

rance is the canary in the mineshaft – a bellwether for the Faith in the West. Most of the parish news is bad – abandoned, empty churches, decades of neglected catechism and deserted seminaries.

However, some news is exceedingly good, like the unlikely story of a Latin American order of priests who are bringing the Faith back to remote village parishes in the south of France.

Herewith, REGINA Magazine is pleased to present the firstperson account of a Canadian lawyer living in Stockholm who undertook the famous Ignatian Exercises under the guidance of the Fraternity of St. Joseph Guardian

THE SURROUNDING AREA IS BREATHTAKING, AS PICTURESQUE AS ANYONE WOULD IMAGINE THE SOUTH OF FRANCE TO BE. Village-dotted hills, all with view of the sea.

Rustic old buildings, beautiful cobblestone roads and old churches. It really is a sight for sore eyes.

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In the South of France THE FRATERNITY BEGAN IN CHILE as a result of the efforts of Father Federico Alcamán Riffo, pictured here with the author. (More info about Fr. Riffo and the Fraternity here: http://www.fsjc.info/history.html)

I

was blessed to discover the traditional liturgy in 1999 in Toronto, Canada. Prior to my recent move to Stockholm, I was accustomed to attending Mass and Vespers at the Toronto Oratory (Holy Family Parish) where the commitment to perfect traditional liturgy was second to none.

Here in Europe however, I was not as fortunate to have such a treasure. Perhaps it was that lack of proper Liturgy that stirred in me the desire to embark on a spiritual retreat. I had heard of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola and decided that I would embark upon finding the right place to do such a retreat.

My Search Online I began to search online for traditional Catholic communities of priests or religious that offered the possibility to laity to stay there for a while and who would supervise the Exercises. A number of the communities which offered TLM Masses did not have anyone qualified to supervise the exercises.

The experts in the Exercises of St Ignatius tend to be Jesuits, and they don’t tend to be the most inclined to the traditional liturgy.

Having narrowed down a few viable options, I was most impressed by a relatively new community in the south of France called the Fraternidad de San Jose Custodio. This community originated in South America - mainly Chile. They were priests who were diocesan or members of other communities who had a particular attachment to tradition and proper catechesis.

Their mission includes not only helping address the shortage of priests, but to renew Catholic tradition in its cradle - Europe. Ignatian Retreats were not something they advertised or regularly offered on their website, but when I contacted them to explore the possibility they were very receptive.

How They Came to France About two years ago, upon learning of this community and their rapid growth in vocations, the Bishop of Toulon in the south of France invited them to his diocese to run parishes in two towns Bormes-les-Mimosas and La Londe -- where today they offer well-attended Mass in both forms. In its few years of existence the Fraternidad already boasts several parish churches, many vocations of religious (men and women), a Formation House and eight priests.

My Experience with the Fraternidad From my first contact with Father Hernan Ducci, the Fraternidad showed me utmost charity and Christian love in accommodating my desire to stay there and undertake the Spiritual Exercises under their supervision.

Most of our communication was in Spanish, but most of the priests in the community also speak English; a few of the brothers in formation also spoke perfect English. They provided extremely competent and meticulous supervision and guidance of each spiritual exercise and the full day commitment to prayer, Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours.

Each day started in the local church where we chanted the Lauds in Latin. It would end in much the same way with Compline, with Vespers, Rosary, Mass and meals in between.

The Fraternity generously provided me with a private apartment across the street from the Formation House, as the exercises are to be done in silence.

They would bring me my meals and prior to each exercise one of the Priests would spend about 40 minutes with me, one-on-one preparing me for the exercise.

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Rosary and Mass. As is normally the case with Ignatian Exercises, all contact with the outside world was cut off - no internet, no phone, no TV, no newspapers, etc.

A Very Powerful and Moving Inspiration They were indeed a very powerful and moving inspiration for me. Their formation of priests was also clearly exceptional. They were not the waffling type, who only reply to questions with platitudes. These holy priests understood scripture and doctrine in a very impressive way, much better than with most priests I have encountered in the past.

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in their life find a good community of priests like this and to do the Spiritual Exercises. I view them now as indispensable. I ask all readers to pray for the Fraternidad de San Jose Custodio that they receive abundant resources and vocations and faithful to continue to carry out their mission. They really are something special. • Editor’s Note: Those interested in learning more can find the Fraternidad de San Jose Custodio online at http:// www.fsjc.info

In the South of France (Left) FROM THE MOMENT I ARRIVED I WAS IMPRESSED AND AMAZED with how hard these priests and religious work every day -- always in good spirits and with a sense of purpose that anyone can see is from and for God. (Right) ADORATION: I have been accustomed to parishes offering adoration of the Blessed Sacrament once a month.

These priests make adoration available to their parishioners seven days a week! In addition, their chanting of the Lauds and Vespers each day are open for the public to attend.

Father Hernan Ducci is the superior in charge of the Fraternity’s mission in the south of France.

This community of God-fearing religious and priests are thousands of miles away from their homes and families in South America. And they make such sacrifices for the service of the Lord.

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Campus

Rebellion How a Group of Students Started a Latin Mass Society Which Spread Around the World ~ Anthony Perlas became the President of the Latin Mass Society of Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina. It was 2012, and Belmont’s Director of Student Activities, Tom Mc Acalester, added the brand new Latin Mass Society to the list of exhibition student clubs at the very last minute. A little more than two years later, Anthony is out of school – and the LMS has members around the world!

REGINA Magazine caught up with Anthony and several members to get the inside track on this runaway success story. ~

REGINA: Anthony, how did you get involved?

There were many reasons for me not to take this on: I had promised my dad, who was paying my college tuition, to focus on my studies, and not to join any clubs. But I felt a strong calling to take this on -- and if I hadn’t responded to the tugging of the Holy Ghost, who knows whether this ‘ordinary’ club would have had so much impact on the college, the Charlotte Diocese and the world – it literally became “extraordinary”!

She was very welcoming and open to people as well as friendly, informative and encouraging for people to attend the Latin Mass.

She had the perfect temperament to host Latin Mass Society TV. Joanna and I immediately began recruiting the perfect team. This included Vice-Presidents Joanna Ruedisueli and Rithi Demonteiro, Grant Eddy, the Secretary of the Society as well as Brigid Casey as Director of Communications.

Together we were an unstoppable team!

drinking, idling and slothfulness.

For example, as a college student; you’re almost forced to socialize on Fridays and sometimes it involves drinking, and other secular entertainment that voids your soul and there’s often an

REGINA: What drew students Vice-President Joanna Ruedisueli to the Society? was the Host of the Latin Mass I think the idea of the Latin Mass Society TV that attracted our Society was to provide a retreat audience with her beauty, warm from the unspoken “coercion” smile and charisma. This is a that most college students face photograph of her after a Solemn on Fridays. There are already High Mass at St. Ann’s Catholic too many bad things going on Church in Charlotte, NC.” Friday evenings that involve

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REGINA

unspoken social stigma attached to those who don’t follow this college norm.

Similarly, there’s also a lot of noise in the internet as well as a dependency we have towards new media communications and its influences. For example, most Catholics are almost forced to do the Praise and Worship hands-in-the-air stuff. The Latin Mass Society binds those two issues together by providing a beacon of safety with authentic Catholic spiritual food and nourishment for its students and members.

By having this availability, college students are able to be away from the “noise” and have a nice close-knit gathering without all the modernist propaganda and junk.

The Latin Mass Society is a counter-revolutionary movement -- not only at the college but also the world.

We’re here to reboot the Catholic Church. We’re here to reboot your supernatural life so that you may live in Sanctifying Grace not as revolutionaries but as counter-revolutionaries.

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REGINA: The Society has grown rapidly. How do you think that’s happened?

As the Society gained traction and was accepted by the community, eventually we had a lot of inbound interest. Local priests, seminarians and people of authority at our school, as well as those in the local media, became interested in us.

The Society has grown rapidly mainly through the power of the Holy Ghost. We simply pray for vocations or members to be exact and they come. We also pray for supporters and the Lord leads them to us.

When Susan Ritchie, a fellow schola member joined, she organized a weekly Latin Rosary. This added a weekly prayer group meeting of the rosary said in Latin on top of the monthly High Masses and speakers we attended as well as the in-betweens of attending pro-life vigils. She eventually served as the Vice President.

The Latin Mass Society focuses on three things: the exaltation of Tradition, Life and Modesty. Our allies consist of the toughest people in the world who stand

for truth whether for the Latin Mass and the former glory of the Church, the pro-life movement and the rising modesty campaigns. If you don’t stand for anything, you’ll fall for everything.

I once heard someone say “There are often household people (remnants) who have the same beliefs and passion for the Lord. But they’re afraid to show it.

Little by little the enemy overshadows their single belief one by one. And they think they are alone in this world in their beliefs but little did they know that we are scattered down the street, the city, the state and throughout the nation. If only one would raise up their lamp and flag and then we would all be united and fight against these wolves. Instead, we are shy and almost divided.”

On a supernatural level, there’s lots of prayers backing the Latin Mass Society; in fact it’s a ministry blessed by my spiritual director, a canon lawyer from the Diocese of Charlotte.

“The Latin Mass Society is a counterrevolutionary movement” The Holy Ghost has also orchestrated people in our path who seemed to have catapulted us into success.

We’ve had the opportunity to pray the rosary in Latin as well in these pro-life vigils publicly and on the speakers. We were immediately criticized by Protestants (Ha ha! Even the devil hates Latin!)

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LMS members reading t abortion mill in Charlotte

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the Latin Rosary at the e.

Wear the Veil Day Ad – Sarah Telles

Wear the Veil Day Promo – Taylor Flanagan The Old Mass Meets Advanced New Media Technology Despite being labeled an “archaic movement” (because we sponsored Catholic events such as 40 Days For Life, Stand Up For Religious Freedom and Helpers Of God’s Precious Infants), the LMS offers up-to-date technology and social media savvy. Essentially we take on a good societal cause that we’d like to promote and which

conforms to our mission and we create a national advertising campaign. These campaigns reach hundreds and thousands of hits and several hundreds of likes on Facebook. Recently, we also sponsored the Wear the Veil Day, an apostolate of Our Lady of the Veil by Andrea Hines and Tina Witt.

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Ballroom Dance Meagan Gitchell

“We are an oasis of Truth from the raven desert that our members live in”

Stand up #4 Promo – Nolan Albrecht and Elizabeth Wise REGINA: What does the Society provide for its members?

We are an oasis of Truth from the raven desert that our members live in. The LMS is there to empower you at the flip of your phone, computer or tablet. It gives you access to all these spiritual talks, homilies, videos, photographs all these articles and up-to-date news regarding the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. It binds its members together as one family who are scattered around the world paving/preparing the way of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth’s coming. It’s there to empower our beliefs throughout the world and to reinforce them periodically so that when that desert heat 212 Regina Magazine | Amazing Parishes

kicks in, we’re here to refresh you of place in their Church. To the intellectually and spiritually. misunderstood, the forgotten, and those who feel in their heart REGINA: What makes the Latin that there’s more to the Mass than Mass Society unique? meets the eye. To the weak souls and remnants who aren’t refreshed Definitely our aesthetic twist of by the watered down faith and who beautiful modeling, advertising desire the solemnity and reverence and new media. We’ve been and silence in which God can only featured in the Cardinal Newman speak through. We’re here to reboot Society, the Catholic News Service the Latin Mass into action and and such for our new media and we hope that one day all the Masses in strive to be the leader in this field. the world will be celebrated in this We’re in this warfare for the manner. As Dr. Taylor Marshall protection of the soul of each says, Jesus Christ was crucified by person. The battle for Life, the Cross of the Romans. Therefore Modesty and Tradition – these the Roman Catholic Church must are our core values. We aren’t the be celebrated with the Latin Mass. wolves. We’re the sheepdogs. The Alleluia. watchers. And we’re to minister to those who feel left out, and out

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40 Days For Life Commercial sponsored by the Latin Mass Society

Stand Up For Religious Freedom – Charlotte Selected Promotions

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Stand Up Opening National Anthemby Benetta Wittiveen

Stand Up For Religious Freedom – Maddy Madrid

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LMS Member Patrick Yodzis at a Latin Mass Society dinner

Photo (Above):

done Stand Up For Religious Freedom a rally against the HHS manAfter Belmont Abbey College, the date and Wear the Veil Day from Latin Mass Society continued to Andrea Hines, which promoted provide some seasonal and regular the modesty and the battle of life events. Once a year a Latin Rosary and sanctity of marriage. This year, Online is celebrated that consists we’re doing Wear the Veil Day of six weeks of rosaries recited in again from the apostolate Our LaLatin around the globe. It’s cur- dy of the Veil. rently an online conference hosted in Google Hangouts that inter- REGINA: What do you think is views six Catholic leaders, headed driving the Society’s growth? by a priest, as a way to unite mem- I believe first and foremost that the bers from around the world. We’ve Holy Ghost is driving this growth. had the honors of Catholic leaders It’s a miracle. Sometimes I wonder join us on this online conference why it’s growing so much without such as Michael Voris, Gail Buck- much effort. I’m sure that I can ley, Matt Yonke and Dr. John Ac- speak for our group when I say quaviva (#1 Catholic best-selling that we’ve worked harder on other author)! Other speakers include things that seemed to not go anyBrice Griffin, Tim Haines, Carlos where.

Espinosa, Antonio Mateo, Chris Lauer and Troy Reed!

But with the Latin Mass Society, The second seasonal event that everything fits in perfectly. For we have is to take on some soci- every pound that we give the Lord etal causes. In the past years, we’ve God Almighty, He’s returned to us

a hundred-fold.

The energy and passion of the LMS are driven by a lot of young adults.

It’s also using the state-of-the-art creative, aesthetic and new media techniques that attract modern people, as well as staying faithful to the tradition.

For example, Joanna Ruedisueli slowly submerged people into the historical beauty, knowledge and wisdom of the Latin Mass. She’s very approachable, friendly and a great leader. Her approach makes people open to learning without being judged. Rather than taking the approach of a ‘teacher and student’, we’ve taken the position of a student discovering the beauties and knowledge of the Latin Mass.

It was more of an adventure, like reading a book or watching a movie. It was a journey together.

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Professional models Laura Parry and Chloe Walker praying at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Charlotte, NC. Then there’s the models – both from a professional modeling agency in Charlotte as well as student models from Belmont Abbey – who were all willing to promote this movement. What we were doing was unique. New Media. Models. Aesthetic design. A TV show series by the beautiful and magnificent Joanna Ruedisueli. It was great! Not to mention the rest of the crew Rithi Demonteiro, Susan Rithi, Grant Eddy, Bridget Casey and Susan Ritchie. Katrina Aveno is the mastermind of operations on Facebook and new media.

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The People

Chris Lauer http://charlottelatinmasscommunity. blogspot.com/ was the speaker at our First Latin Mass Society monthly event, which included a Solemn High Mass and a dinner. Back then, he was petitioning the Ecclesia Dei for a regular Latin Mass every Sunday at St. Ann’s. Today, after going through the pastor and the Bishop, there’s now a regular Latin Mass at St. Ann’s.

Our Vice-President of Society Affairs, Lucy Lopez of California, is our ambassador to women, specifically in the promotion of modesty.

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I was also working for the Catholic News Herald http://catholicnewsherald.com/ as a freelance photographer and the Editor, Patricia Guilfoyle, was also a Facebook friend. My posts tipped her off on the Latin Mass Society, and the Herald promoted us to the statewide press in North Carolina. (This is probably the only time when having your employer in your friends list can be beneficial.)

Professional model Taylor Jones models for the Latin Mass Society

We also have Video Sancto, a stable partner and content provider on Facebook, facilitated by Steve Cunningham. He provides new media content about the Latin Mass via image cards, videos and talks. Steve has a famous brother, seminarian Michael Cunningham from the FSSP.

In 2013 we had two key talents join us -Taylor Flanagan and Sarah Telles. Taylor perfectly modeled the ‘Wear the Veil Day’ for the Latin Mass Society; we also created an intriguing advertisement by the wonderful Sarah Telles of California. Taylor is a very devout traditional woman from Belmont Abbey College. Sarah is a Franciscan University nursing graduate and her intellect, beauty and personality attracted people to learn more about the Latin Mass Society.

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Why are you in the Latin Mass Society?

John Niedzwiecki – Co-Host for the Latin Rosary Online “Lenten season was upon us, and Anthony emailed asking, hey would like to help me out with this online broadcasting show? I was like ok, what I am supposed to do? He explained what the Latin mass society mission was and what he was trying to do with his show. He wanted someone else to help with praying the Rosary with his guests and help a little bit in the interviewing process. He was interviewing some pretty high profile people in the catholic broadcasting world and I thought sure why not. It was a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the faith and how I could make an impact with my faith.

(At the time I was really searching for something to help me make an impact with my faith aka I was struggling with the faith a little bit, I was thinking how could I make a difference? and who could help me reach my goals in the faith ? ) With each show I was able to get fantastic insight from men and women who struggled like I have but found a way to thrive in their faith. To make 220 Regina Magazine | Amazing Parishes

an impact that I have only dreamed of. It has made me want to research more about my faith, live it, breath it, embrace like I used to in college. It has made me feel alive again. It reminds me the beauty of our rich history of the Catholic Church, the truth that it transcends throughout time. How the Latin prayers and mass can help us reconnect with God. Such reverence, such beauty and passion that goes into it. What does the LMS do for us? It reconnects us, giving us links to great spiritual readings, access to old Latin prayers, all reminders of how beautiful the Catholic Church is. Why am I a part of the Latin Mass Society? Because it brought me back to life spiritual. It has given me a reason to pushing to grow in my faith and to make a difference in people’s lives, to let them know, yes we all have spiritual battles, that are quite cruel, but through persistence and total giving of oneself to God, that there is no spiritual limit to what God wants you to be !!!!“ •

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Christopher Hall, Belmont, NC at St. Michael’s Church in Gastonia.

“It was a good way to mingle with likeminded people who have a special place in their heart and a preference for the TLM and the traditional devotions and practices that accompany it. It is a good way to share ideas, thoughts and news about the TLM and traditional catholicism and all its glory. And a great way to spread the love and joy we have for and that which we receive from the TLM and traditional Catholic life.

At the Abbey it was great to get together with the college crowd that had a curiosity about or already a love for the TLM. Going out to the nearest TLMs be

they Low, High or Missa Cantata. And the sharing of experiences, joys and hopes for what the future holds for the TLM. Post Abbey it’s like it was before with the exception of it not being as personal when the LMS base was Abbey side.

Thoughthe crowd has gotten bigger, with the internet and the marvels of social media. It’s still wonderful being part of the revival in Holy Mother Church which is tied to the TLM and organizations such as the Latin Mass Society. •

Karla McCuan Cox Carmel, IN at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish I'm part of the Latin Mass Society because I want to learn more about the Latin Mass. The Latin Mass is more reverent and has a beauty that the

Ordinary Mass does not have. I love the Latin chants. I'm in Indianapolis, IN, I go to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Carmel, IN. •

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Why are you in the Latin Mass Society?

Michael Bell– O.S.B. Arlington, TX at St. Mark’s Parish “Because you proclaim the Truth that is found within the Church’s teachings. And stand firm in the reality that Modernization of the church is dilution of the truth. You don’t treat the doctrines of the Faith like a bag of trail mix. You don’t discard the teachings of the pre Vatican II as “out dated”. I have often seen this page and the quotes like this : Jesus didn’t come to tell the people what they wanted to hear, he came to tell them what they needed to hear. That’s what you do. And I am honored to belong to such a group that is 100% bold, honest , traditional and hardcore Catholic. (There is so much more I could say. But the one thing is that I am all about Tradition -- that’s one of the reasons why I became a Benedictine. We preserve it. And with this group by my side I don’t feel so alone, in this modern world.) •”

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