Just across the river and the bridge that spans from where I live is Water Street. It’s was once the Italian section of town known as “The Patch”. It is also the place where there are three Catholic Churches all within 600 yards of each other. The First is Immaculate Conception parish located right on the river and one of the most beautiful churches in the area. The second is St. Bernards, the oldest Catholic Church in Fitchburg. The Third is my parish St. Anthony di Padua, which just celebrated its 100th anniversary last year and is still about 50% made up of the children and grandchildren of the Italian Americans who founded it.
As you can see from the google map link barely 1/2 a mile separates the three.
With three parishes so close it is VERY likely that at least one and more likely two of us will get the chop with next years parish closing. Immaculate Conception buries more people than they baptize so it doesn’t look good for them.
St. Anthony’s & St. Bernard’s morning mass are at 7 a.m., due to the schedules of the wife and kids 7 a.m. is more tricky for me so for the indulgence I mentioned yesterday I went to Immaculate Conception as their thrice weekly morning mass is at 8:15.
A few weeks ago someone mentioned to me that they offer the mass in Latin there. I’m 46 so I have no living memory of it. (My mother tells me St. Anthony went to English before I was born. I’ve always wanted to attend one. It is a connection to centuries of Catholic tradition and history, both of my boys either took or are taking Latin in high school and frankly I’m curious.
So today after earning the Plenary indulgence for the Mother in law (if that doesn’t get you in her good graces nothing will) I asked the priest if the Latin Mass was offered. (I know the web site says so but it looks like that web site hasn’t been touched since the day it went up). To my surprise Fr. Thien confirmed it.
And apparently if I had been paying more attention I would have known it already. Fr. Z’s blog mentioned it here, and commented on the first Latin mass celebrated in June:
It is one thing to have A MASS celebrated, even at a convenient time and place. It is entirely another to have the whole life of a parish and access to all the sacraments with the older forms – in a community of people who have the same aspirations – opened up for you.
La Solette Journey Covered it as well.:
Father will hear confessions at 7:30am before Mass, and the Rosary will be prayed aloud at that time. Father will also hold spiritual conferences and traditional devotions, and administer the Sacraments according to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.
Hmmm his name is Melanson, I used to live near a bunch of Melansons when I was 5 years old.
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriem covered it too:
“I think it’s fair to call this the beginning of the restoration of the immemorial Holy Mass codified by St. Pius V to the church of the Immaculate Conception. I’m glad to say that our (my family’s) hopes were high, but we were entirely unprepared for the palpably sacred ambience that persisted in the church throughout the sacred liturgy and which accompanied us right out the door and into the church hall (where I spent most of my time talking about the Mass, I think). It brought back a flood of memories of the best days I’d seen when I was a boy and the blessed years we had the privilege of going to Mass at Holy Trinity in Boston (where our two girls were baptized). I had the distinct impression that Father, the altar servers, and the choir were actually praying (not acting out roles) as they solemnly carried out their offices with unaffected reverence.(emphasis mine)
That is the single most powerful statement that I’ve ever heard said about a mass. If that is not a reason to attend I’d like to know what is.
Ironically I would not have been able to attend that first mass even if I knew about it since I’m involved in a monthly parish activity at St. Anthonys that takes up my mornings on the last Sunday each month (all are invited).
While writing this post I called my 84 year old mother and told her about it, she mentioned how when she was younger everyone wanted it in English because the didn’t want to learn Latin but is very interested in going this week. She also reminded me of the fact that our pastor will be leaving for Italy for a week starting Friday and neither her nor my boys are serving this month.
If that’s not a sign I don’t know what is, so I think I’ll be attending Immaculate Conception this week and might consider going once a month for the Latin Mass.
This is a lesson. I should pay more attention to my own neighborhood instead of always concerning myself with the events of the world or the blogoisphere.
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