All Saints parish in Corning, NY will offer the Extraordinary Form of the Mass (aka “Traditional Latin Mass”) on Sunday, August 7th at 1:45 PM. The Mass will take place at St. Mary’s church and be offered by Fr. Johannas Smith. This is exciting news and may very well be the first exposure that most Catholics in Corning will have to the Extraordinary Form considering the long drive involved in attending the diocese’s only EF Mass at St. Stanislaus in the city of Rochester.
While it is certainly encouraging to see a parish open to offering the Extraordinary Form, the commentary on this Mass as produced in the All Saints bulletin by the parish’s pastoral administrator, Deacon Dean Condon, is a little upsetting. I do not believe that Deacon Condon intended to be hostile toward this form of the Mass. Instead, some of his comments demonstrate, perhaps, ignorance about the EF and why some people prefer to worship in this form over the Ordinary Form. Below are excerpts of Deacon Condon’s comments with emphasis and commentary:
“The Council document set out a vision for what the truly universal church should be all about. The Church ought not to be stuck as single-cultural institution, using a dead language of an ancient and irrelevant empire. We now worship in the many languages of all world cultures. While acknowledging our Roman roots, we are now more truly catholic in the way we worship, teach, and practice.” [The use of Latin is not so much clinging to a particular cultural institution as it is a means of producing unity in a Church comprised of people from different nations, languages, and cultures. The use of Latin serves to remind us that we are one people, though many, in Christ united as part of the Roman Catholic Church. Wherever you might travel, the Extraordinary Form of the Mass will be celebrated the same way and in the same language. It is a true unifier.]
“Admittedly for some, having a Latin Mass is like running a Confederate flag up the pole [An inappropriate analogy that would have been best avoided], symbolizing a protest against the accomplishments of Vatican II [It is debatable whether or not much of what has transpired since the Council have been “accomplishments.” I don’t consider the poor state of Mass attendance in this country and Europe to be an accomplishment by any stretch of the imagination. A lot of what we have seen take place in the Ordinary Form of the Mass isn’t even faithful to the Council documents!]. However, this need not be the case. The Church has moved toward being more universal, especially by moving the Mass into the vernacular [In actuality, the use of the vernacular has proved to be more divisive than unifying. For example, take a look at the various petitions that were created in protest of the revised English translation of the Roman Missal. Another issue, and a reason why we are revising the English translation of the Roman Missal in the first place, is that some vernacular translations of the Mass contain several inaccuracies when compared to the official Latin text. Even in our diocese, one can observe divisions from parish to parish (one parish will use “inclusive” language, another follows the texts faithfully, and still another has inserted made-up rituals into the order of Mass).] Yet, the Latin Mass remains part of our heritage. Now, nearly fifty years after the Council, the understanding is clear that the Church is not reversing back, but is allowing for greater access to the experience of this bygone tradition [Very poor word choice. The definition of bygone is “belonging to an earlier time.” This is not correct. The Extraordinary Form of the Mass belongs this time just as much as the Ordinary Form. We have two forms of the Mass, sitting together side by side, both equally valid]. So, in that respect, the Tridentine Mass can still be celebrated and will be offered at All Saints Parish on Sunday, August 7 at 1:45 p.m. at St. Mary’s Church. Presiding at the Tridentine Mass will be Fr. Johannas MM Smith, FI from Mount St. Francis Monastery in Endicott, NY. Our own Schola Choir will provide Gregorian chant for this special celebration.”
Once again, I believe that the deacon’s comments were made out of ignorance rather than malicious intent. The fact that his parish will be offering the Extraordinary Form of the Mass at all demonstrates that he is at least open to the request of our Holy Father to make this Mass more widely available. If you are in the area, please attend the Mass of Ages in support of our Catholic tradition. Who knows, maybe the Extraordinary Form will become a regular offering in Corning in the near future?
See also here.
Tags: Latin Mass, Liturgy, Orthodoxy at Work, Reflection
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Besides the Mass, there is another unifying factor in our Church, namely Christmas which can be used as a role model for any debates on the liturgy. The celebration goes back almost 2 thousand years and goes beyond being just a Catholic feast. It is all but universal in Christendom and is even celebrated in many other denominations. We fortunately celebrate it with midnight Mass. Mass can and should be in Latin or the local language but should be available to all who wish to glorify God according to their language preference and tradition preference.. The hymns and carols can be in Latin (ADESTE FIDELIS) or the vernacular (O HOLY NIGHT); both are part of our worship in the past and present. However the unifying factor is the MASS. So, in this day and age, let us have Mass in Latin and Polish and English, and Italian.etc. But let the people responsibe for the liturgy ensure that both forms of liturgy have relevance and respect for the present and the past. Maybe once we get Christmas back as a religious holiday , we will all have religious experiences again and not have our RELIGIOUS holiday smothered by materialism.
PS: in 1848, the bishop of Paris banned the hymn O Holy Night because it was considerd too secular and “profane”. Today it is sung in our churches as a beautiful and well appreciated Christmas Carole.
PS: “Jingle Bell Rock” makes me gag. If I ever hear it in church, I will scream and roar!! LOL LOL LOL
I can’t judge his (questionable) motives, but I can surely notice that he has very poor judgment in what he has written. He needs a proofreader.
I was watching Real Catholic TV yesterday and heard a brave priest preached about contraception and was shouted down by people in the pews and that several people walked out.
This is sad. This is the new (BAD) reformation.
BHoy, we need saints like St. Francic deSales and other brave souls who won back thousands of protestants during the Protestant reformation.
I’m sorry, did I just read a Catholic deacon, trained for years in the theology, law, and worship of Holy Mother Church, describe her universal language as the “dead language of an ancient and irrelevant empire”? The same language St. Thomas Aquinas used to wed faith to reason? The same language centuries of martyrs and saints used in prayer?
Deacon Dean has degrees from Boston College, Harvard, and I believe, a recent PhD from a seminary. I understand it was a Protestant seminary, but I cannot confirm that.
As far as priests and the faithful making a stand for all things Christian-we should be taking action as a group or join a collaborative effort with other groups to make our intentions known and heard. Ie.-Yesterday, New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms “filed suit on Monday seeking to nullify the new marriage equality law because of alleged improper activity, such as closed meetings and promises of campaign donations, in the State Senate leading up to the vote.”-Joyce Bolcher, “The Advocate” -advocate.com The lawsuit was filed in State Supreme Court in Livingston County and names quite a few people including the New York State Senate in the suit. At the head of this lawsuit is Rev. Jason McGuire, Rev. Duane Motley, and Rabbi Nathaniel Leiter. They want the Same Sex Marriage Bill reversed and want all Same Sex Marriages that have occurred since the bill was passed to be nullified.
They do not like how the bill redefines marriage and they think it was by a corrupt legislative process that the bill was passed. I saw the story on the 11 P.M. news on Channel 10 last night. There are also articles all over the web regarding the lawsuit.
Some links:
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/07/26/Group_Files_Suit_Against_New_York_Marriage_Equality_Law/
http://newyork.ibtimes.com/articles/186861/20110726/new-york-gay-marriage-lawsuit-vote-wedding-legalized.htm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43889410/ns/local_news-rochester_ny/t/lawsuit-filed-hoping-nullify-gay-marriage/
Lawsuit Against Same Sex Marriage
In regard to priests and the Faithful making a stand for all things Christian ? We should be taking action as a group or as a collaborative effort with another group. One example- yesterday, July 25th, 2011, a conservative group named New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms filed a lawsuit in State Supreme Court in Livingston County against the Same Sex Marriage Bill and names the New York State Senate, the New York State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman as defendants. The group cites that the bill was passed by corruptive legislative process. They state they used close doors and promises of campaign donations in the State Senate to get the bill passed. The group is upset how the bill redefines marriage. They want to overturn the bill and have all Same Sex Marriages in New York State nullified.
Heading up the lawsuit are Rev. Jason McGuire, Rev. Duane Motley, and Rabbi Nathaniel Leiter.
I heard about their legal action on the 11 P.M. news last night on Channel 10 WHEC-TV news.There are articles all over the Web pertaining to this lawsuit.Below is the link to the actual news story on Channel 10 WHEC-TV:
http://greece.whec.com/news/lawsuit-filed-hoping-nullify-gay-marriage/54530
If we could have a mass in the Extraordinary Form once a year, it would be a big accomplishment for the Southern Tier. Thank you to the people who have planned it and persisted in the face of little enthusiasm from leadership. I am 40 and have never attended a TLM; I am very much looking forward to it.
That explains a lot. It’s quite possible he’s never actually read Sacrosanctum Concilium, especially ¶36 and ¶116.
@ Gretchen
Deacon Dean’s Phd (which he I believe he is still working on) is also from Boston College from what was until 2008 the Weston Jesuit School of Theology.
I’m sorry but one can loose one’s faith going to those institutions.
Cpt Tom, Here is some further information on Deacon Dean. I did a little digging and found that an individual with the same first, middle, and last names has a doctor of ministry degree (Spiritual Renewal in the Postmodern World) from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary as of May 2011. Of course, it is possible this is a different person. I also found the following information on zoominfo.com:
Employment History
Guardian Angels Church
Education
doctorate
theology and philosophy
Boston College
master’s degree
Harvard Divinity School
Harvard
doctor of ministry program
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
doctor of ministry program
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Dr. K said: “produced in the All Saints bulletin by the parish’s lay pastoral administrator, Deacon Dean Condon”
The last time I checked, a deacon is a cleric and was ordained, correct? How could Fr. Deacon Dean be All Saints “lay pastoral administrator” when he is not a member of the laity?
Fixed.
@Gretchen
I hope you’re wrong, but, I suspect not. Very sad.
@Johnk
In the Western Church the correct title for a deacon is “Reverend Mr” or informally “Deacon” not “Father Deacon” which is what the Eastern Churches address the Deacon. At least that’s what I was taught and have seen most of my life.
@CPT Tom
I realize that this is the way that the Eastern Churches address deacons (having been a part of a Ruthenian Greek Catholic parish for 12 years), and I think that the Western Church could learn something from it. While the East doesn’t distinguish between “permanent” deacons and “transitional” deacons as the West does, I find that Roman deacons are not accorded their due as clergy, often treated as glorified altar boys, lay men who have a special job, or (by some Traditionalists) as men to be avoided as they are (mostly) married. The fact that in the West they usually wear street clothes and are often only addressed by their first name, helps to cement this. Proper catechesis seems to be lacking, right from the start of the reintroduction of this order after VII. Deacons are every bit as much a cleric as a priest or bishop. This could be highlighted by calling them “Fr. Deacon.” While this is no slur against Dr.K, that he called Deacon Dean, a “lay pastoral administrator,” it only confirms the fact that even a Catholic as on top of things as Dr.K is, has the mind set that he is lay, with a special job, and not clergy. Again, I mean no disrespect to Dr.K or anyone here.
John, you are completely wrong. I made a mistake when I wrote the article. I am aware of what a deacon is.
Does anyone have a report as to how the Mass went? Number in the congregation, etc? Younger vs older people?
Thank you.