The first photo is one I just found on a former parishioner’s Facebook page. It is amazing. I have never seen it before now. It is my former parish church in Macon in 1941. It is filled with soldiers from a nearby post (long since closed). Please note the additional servers in the sanctuary in military dress.
The second photo is around 2014/15.
The second photo is around 2014/15.
35 comments:
When did the Jesuits leave St. Joseph? I imagine in that photo they are still staffing the place...
Does anyone know what happened to the two angel statues closest to the altar in the 1941 photo (the ones with bowed heads)? They are not in the second picture and I've not heard anyone say what happened to them.
The Jesuits were there until about 1960. This is an amazing photo and the troops from Camp Wheeler. One of my older parishioners remembers an Italian POW housed there died and his funeral was at St. Joseph and all the Italian POW’s were at the funeral which he served as a young boy. I wonder too how many of those soldiers in the photo died in the war.
The large angel statues were gone by the late 50’s. I think these would have been in the way and oversized for the sanctuary and more than likely blocked the narrow passage leading behind the altar on both sides. The pedestals are huge too and I have no idea where all those things went. Perhaps to another Jesuit Church?
Father McDonald,
To another Jesuit Church? Surely you jest.
I think it is incredibly fortunate that the high altar survived. During the philistine period in the US following Vatican Disaster II, so many were given the ax. At the University of Notre Dame it was proposed destroying the magnificent high altar which was created in the Parisian atelier of Robert Le Froc and purchased by Father Sorin, the founder of the university at the Philadelphia Exhibition of 1876. Fortunately, Father Hesburgh, who was not particularly traditional, over-ruled that Committee overseeing the wreckovation and the high altar survived.
I have no idea what happened to the original pulpit. The Jesuits like moveable pulpits which were in the nave, similar to the one pictured. The one at Sacred Heart Church in Augusta, survived all these years and as a secular cultural center since about 1986. It is still there, shell and all and moveable.
St. Joseph had a variation of pulpits over the years, well before Vatican II. The current altar and ambo are from the 2003-06 restoration and renovation which I guided.
The sanctuary renovation I guided did not rip out anything except the horrible ironing board free standing altar which took all the space in the sanctuary if you can imagine it in front of the 1942 look. We also replaced a 1960's marble ambo with marble that didn't match the Italian marble of the high altar.
As you can see in the renovated second picture, the sanctuary was enlarge, bringing it forward into the nave and the altar railing re-positioned making it easier for the laity to use.
However, all the new flooring could be ripped out as nothing was removed from underneath it including the original floor tiles of the sanctuary. And taking out the new altar and the step under it and the larger landing under it would leave the original tile floor and the three steps up to the high altar, all still there by covered over.
Father McDonald,
Thanks for the details! It is so fortunate that it was you guiding the effort since the sanctuary is still stunningly beautiful!
Happy Easter!
Father, your renovations at Most Holy Trinity Augusta and at St. Joseph’s Macon are both spectacular. You will be long remembered...
A blessed and Happy Easter!
Anon12
The historic photograph clearly shows the prayers at the foot of the altar, and it's not a Solemn Mass, so there is something which should be on the altar but isn't. Did anyone else spot this?
No veiled chalice,paten. A lot going on, though, on the altar. Sanctuary and altar cluttered and the colossal angels on pedestals not in porportion to other statuary. I can't tell what box like thing is in front of Sedalia. Also, how odd would it be for so many additional servers in use all wearing army uniform. One guy seems to have a black band around his arm indicating mourning.
In revisiting the top photo, it appears it would be very difficult to have a Solemn High Mass with Priest, Deacon, Subdeacon, etc.. give the tight space between the altar rail and the altar steps. So Father McDonald extending the sanctuary was definitely a smart move!
John Nolan,
Is it possible that the priest was still holding the veiled chalice? I can recall sometimes the priest was a bit slow in placing it on the altar
It seems like more is going on here aside from a typical low Mass. For example, there are additional candles lit on either side of the altar. Were it not for the open missal on the altar, which seems to indicate the mass has not yet started, I would think this is the opening of a 4-hours devotion or something like that. The "box" in front of the sedalia looks like a kneeler to me.
The veiled chalice is on the credence table to the right of the priest. Could it be a post Mass devotion of some type and the priest forgot to close the missal?
The space in front of the old altar would have been adequate for the Solemn High Mass and other ceremonies in front of the altar, like Nuptial Masses. The problem with that design isn't so much the size of the sanctuary as the placement of the altar railing between the pillars. That truncates even the pre-Vatican II design. Its placement would have been hazardous too for elderly communicants or anyone forgetting the number of steps behind them when they got up to return to the pew. If the railing were in the position as the renovation, things would have opened up dramatically if no other altar was placed in front of it. But when an altar was placed in front of it, there was no room whatsoever (which is the way it was when I arrived in 2004 and with no plans to do anything to that sanctuary until I forcefully intervened.
I like the new altar but hated at first, the "red" color marble used to accent it, which looks brown to me. I thought the entire altar would be white marble. The new ambo is a replacement of another one manufactured by the same company that was an absolute disaster and we rejected and demanded another one be made.
Since that is the only arm band I can see it is probably signifying a special duty assessment, like Military Police or some adjutant.
I always thought the marble was brown. If I had seen a sample piece, I would not have chosen it. But, in place, I think the effect over all is very good.
The most logical answer is that this is the beginning of the high mass. The sanctuary gate is open, the Missal is open, and the chalice is veiled on the credence table. Also there is no incense, which there likely would be for some extra-liturgical devotion, but there would not have been incense for a missa cantata sung by a priest during this time period.
The reason why that doesn't seem to be the case is that the candles don't seem to indicate that, and it's not at all clear what the extra people in military dress are doing in the sanctuary.
Still, taking all the information available, I think this is the start of a missa cantata.
BOMBSHELL! I widened the photo because of something that caught my eye. Next to the open Missal is what appears to me to be "the bishop's candle" so this may be a pontifical Mass with a bishop, a young looking one at that, maybe associated with the Military?
At that time the diocese was known as the Diocese of Savannah/Atlanta. I don't recall who would have been our bishop then.
By the way, that Episcopal candle stand and a lavabo set, brass with crozier and mitrer engraved on it, are still at St. Joseph. Maybe St. Joseph was used as a kind of cathedral when the diocese comprised the entire state of Georgia!
It could be a pontifical low mass. Although, I can't see a zucchetta on his head.
Would a bishop have celebrated a simple missa cantata at this time?
Can't see a zucchetta either, but might be on him. It does not appear that any of the candles are lighted on the altar, except one immediately to right of tabernacle and presumably its twin on the left hidden by the flowers. So it could be a pontifical low Mass although the "bishop" is vested in a solemn way with fancy alb and chasuble and it appears the altar server to his left could be his MC as he has lacy surplus. I doubt the altar boys there at the time would have had that.
The question, remains, would a bishop in a low Mass, be it pontifical or not, have his candle present?
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, a bishop's low mass has 4 candles.
Looking at this more closely, I'm not sure I can tell which, if any candles, are lit.
So taking all of the information that I can see into account, I'm going to stick with this people a priest singing a missa cantata. It's clearly a major celebration of something. The missal is open, the sanctuary gate is open, the chalice is to the side, and there are more than 2 servers -- all indications of this being a sung mass.
It could be a first mass. That might explain the apparent extra servers and the kneeler. Perhaps the fellow with the fancier alb is an associate priest there to assist...?
Do you have any of Frank McKenney's books about Macon history? Maybe something in one of those might give some insight into this event.
Is there any possibility the congregants were from a Macon JROTC program?
It's not a devotion outside of Mass, since the chasuble is being worn, rather than the cope. Nor is it a missa cantata where the veiled chalice set would be on the altar at the start of Mass. It looks very much like the start of a pontifical Low Mass since the chalice set is correctly on the credence table, the missal is open on the epistle side with the bugia (hand candle) to its right, correctly placed on the mensa and not on a gradine, and there is a prie-dieu in the sanctuary.
The figure in the lace cotta is presumably the parish priest. In a PLM the bishop would usually be assisted by at least one priest.
It was not until Inter Oecumenici (Oct. 1964) that bishops were granted general permission to celebrate a missa cantata in the same way as a priest.
Incense was allowed at non-solemn sung Masses in England (and presumably in the USA) at this time, and John XXIII extended this permission to the whole Church.
Good idea, Fr. Kavanaugh.
I did a little googling and happened upon something called the Catholic Club that was associated with St. Joseph around this time. Seems likely connected to this mass photograph.
Frank McKenney was amazing and peculiar. For those reading who didn't know him, he was a lawyer and some-time judge, never married, serious historian of the Macon/Middle Georgia area, in the summer decked out in a seersucker suit with bow tie, pipe, and straw hat, and never spent a THIN DIME on anything but the absolute basics.
Once when I visited him, I asked if he had ever served in the military.
"No," he said, "but my father and his brother served in World War Two." (If you knew Frank, you have to hear this with his heavy, wide Middle Georgia accent.)
"My father was in the glider corps, and my uncle was in the balloon corps."
There was a lengthy pause here....
Frank continued, "The McKenney men did not choose . . . prudently."
He said it matter-of-factly and I had to pinch myself from bursting our laughing.
I told that story at his funeral at Holy Spirit with my best imitation of his accent to a congregation mostly non-Catholic and with a heavy representation from the judicial/legal community. They broke out in laughter.
God rest him, Frank was VERY generous in his will to Holy Spirit Parish, Mt de Sales School, and the local public library.
Thank you, John!
John beat me to it. My "Sacristan's Manual for the Extraordinary Form" by the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius supports about the same however, here, they note that "In some churches a third candle is lighted during the Canon of the Mass". Perhaps there was a local usage that allowed for the lighting to be earlier. Perhaps my eyes, but, the bugia is clearly lite however, I couldn't tell the same regarding the 6 high. What appears to be a humeral veil is draped over the chair to the left of the credence table. Wouldn't the veil have been over the chalice? Also, to the extent a bishop was present, would not the sedalia have been converted to a bishop's throne? John, our resident expert, any insight?
ByzRC, that reference is to the Sanctus candle. It is placed next to the corporal after the Sanctus at the low mass, so that's not the same as this candle.
Ahhh. Thank you, Marc. I've been away from the TLM for awhile so, this blog is the only way this form of mass and its rubrics stay familiar.
The lighting of an extra candle at the Sanctus is part of the Dominican rite but it is not placed on the mensa next to the corporal. I have occasionally come across it in the Roman rite, where the candle was in a sconce fixed to the wall on the epistle side.
I have seen the Pontifical Low Mass a couple of times - the bishop vests at the altar, the PATFOTA are said as normal, but when the bishop goes to the missal to read the Introit the bugia (already lit) is held by an assistant who carries it to the gospel side before the Gospel is read.
The humeral veil is not used. However, the bishop enters in choir dress and removes the mozzetta (and sometimes the rochet also) before vesting for Mass. It could be the latter that is draped on the chair.
Usually the central altar card is replaced by the Pontificale, propped open as in the High Mass. In addition to the two 'chaplains', up to four extra servers are often used. A ewer and basin, plus a large towel is provided for the bishop to wash his hands.
No part of the Mass is sung, but there is often a musical accompaniment (organ music and/or motets).
The Sanctus candle is part of the Roman Rite in it’s pre-1955 incarnation. The Institute still does this and I saw it done at the cathedral in Austin last year as well — both were masses said with the old rubrics. Gueranger mentions it in his book on the mass too, as an example.
And yes, it is placed next to the corporal on the Epistle side.
For what it's worth, Fortescue also discusses the Sanctus candle in his magisterial book on the ceremonies of the Roman Rite.
If you want to see a Pontifical Low Mass offered according to the pre-1955 rubrics, here's a video.
I'm still perplexed a bit by the photograph that we're discussing here -- But it is a very interesting discussion to me!
Marc, thanks for the information regarding the Sanctus candle at Low Mass. Since it's in the Missal, one wonders why it's such a rarity.
The 1955 reforms concerned Holy Week, but I am not aware of any rubrical changes in the Mass at other times until 1960. There were additional changes in 1962, but they appear to be universally ignored.
The site you linked to (MHT seminary) is sedevacantist. On Good Friday the prayer for the pope is omitted and they don't pray the 'una cum' in the Canon. Since they don't use the Pius XII Ordo for Holy Week, is he also on their list of 'non-popes'? If so, the See of Peter has been vacant since 1939!
Fortunately, non-schismatics have also recovered the pre-1955 Ordo, including my favourite Paris church, St-Eugène in the 9è arrondissement.
There are few following the old rubrics is the reason for the rarity of the Sanctus candle. I’m mostly aware of it because the local Institute priest uses the old rubrics completely (additional collects, all the octaves, etc.).
That strand of sedevacantists that I linked to has some apologetic why they don’t follow Pius XII’s reforms. Other sedevacantists do follow them (CMRI, for example). I don’t go to a sedevacantist chapel, but their pontifical low mass videos are readily available, hence my using them for reference.
John, this link (sorry for, once again, using a sedevacantist source) summarizes the changes to the missal made by John XXIII. Interestingly to me, many of these, as you note, aren't actually followed in practice, presumably given to the influence of Abp. Lefebvre and the so-called Rite of Econe.
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