We've lived all over the country with our jobs and have had to stomach more guitar and folk masses than should ever be allowed. It's truly sad what has become of Catholic liturgy! As a former "high church Anglican" I had become so homesick for a heavenly liturgy.
By the grace of God, we have recently relocated permanently to Warner Robins. By the grace of God, my prayers of coming home to St Joseph's are answered!
God bless you for all the work you do to insure that the mass is every bit as awesome, reverent and holy as it was intended to be! I want to sincerely thank you for this! There is a huge awakening of traditional practices and beliefs among younger Catholics (under 40) and we are hungry.
When I saw the altar rail at Eucharist I nearly started to cry. So wonderful!
God bless you!!
8 comments:
What a wonderful letter. I saw an interesting story over at Father Z's today that there is a resurgence of traditional Catholicism in France among young people. Deo Gratias!
Dear Father McDonald, I thank you and give thanks for you as you are a leading example of a priest who has worked to end the Liturgical War that has engulfed the (Latin) Church.
I believe that the TLM must be resorted to parishes throughout the Latin Church. However, I don't favor the sudden disappearance of the Novus Ordo.
I believe that even the most ardent supporters of the Novus Ordo would acknowledge that the sudden manner in which Pope Blessed Paul VI had overthrown the TLM and forced the Novus Ordo upon the Faithful was imprudent.
Again, even if one favors the Novus Ordo over the TLM, I believe that (virtually) everybody concerned about liturgical matters within the Latin Church is aware that the liturgical reform was implemented in poor fashion.
Today, to rip suddenly the Novus Ordo from our parishes, the only Mass that millions of Catholics have ever known, would constitute an horrific mistake.
First of all, it's a pipe-dream to believe that the Church is ready or is even equipped to switch suddenly to the TLM...not gonna happen.
Second of all, even if such a sudden switch were possible, whatever remains of Sunday Mass attendance throughout the Latin Church would crash to even greater and horrific lows.
The only way to restore liturgical sanity throughout the Latin Church is...
-- "Clean up" the Novus Ordo. That is, as much as possible, and over time, introduce Holy Tradition to the Novus Ordo and Latin Church parishes.
-- Level the playing field for the TLM. The TLM should be granted the opportunity to grow...not be thwarted by bishops and priests who work overtime to restrict access to the TLM.
From there, and over the decades, each form Mass will either attract worshipers, inspire vocations, and renew the Church, or fade into history.
Then again, it is possible that both "forms of the one Roman Rite" (with the Novus Ordo having been "reformed" (reform of the reform) will succeed in renewing liturgy and spirituality throughout the Church.
In the meantime, Father McDonald, you work to end the Liturgical War. You are a Blessed Peacemaker.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Mark Thomas said...I believe that even the most ardent supporters of the Novus Ordo would acknowledge that the sudden manner in which Pope Blessed Paul VI had overthrown the TLM and forced the Novus Ordo upon the Faithful was imprudent.
The changes instituted by Pope Paul VI were not "sudden"; they were gradual.
The first changes in the old Mass came in Advent 1964. Then things kept changing routinely until the new missal was implemented, but it took 6 years from the initial changes.
By the time the Novus Ordo Missae was finally promulgated, the aesthetics of the old Mass had undergone so many changes that few people noticed the difference.
The initial changes were very well received especially the 1965 Missal and the vernacular , trendy young and old people loved the novelty of folk or guitar Masses as well as the informality. But deeply committed Catholics became quite alarmed by the increasing rapid changes and resulting confusion along with unbridled creativity and liberties.
Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...The initial changes were very well received especially the 1965 Missal and the vernacular...
I agree with this statement.
One of the problems was the constant barrage of changes, particularly of things that never needed changing, e.g., use of the Communion rail.
At the local Roman parish where I lived, they stopped using the Communion rail in 1966/67, years before the common people ever heard the term "Novus Ordo Missae."
I wonder why the writer felt the need to travel to Macon. The ancient Catholic liturgy can be found in metro Atlanta in several places.
The Archdiocese of Atlanta has a parish where the old Mass is offered exclusively, and has for over a decade.
In addition, the SSPX has a chapel with daily Mass.
Moreover, there are nearly half a dozen Byzantine Catholic parishes in the area.
Father, this little letter to you reminds me of something I've come to realize: Did you ever notice how, very often, in TV and movies, if they show a Catholic church, it will look much more traditional than most churches actually look nowadays? They frequently have the traditional altar setup of candles and a crucifix, or an altar railing, or priests in very ornate vestments, or a very old-looking confessional setup, or exclusively-male altar servers in cassocks and surplices (not girl servers in albs) ... and in reality (unfortunately), you don't see those things in most parishes anymore!
Hollywood knows what "looks Catholic," and if they showed a typical parish interior today, it might look too Protestant!
The NO is the Classic Comic Book version of the Mass.
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