Votive Mass of a Feast Formerly Celebrated on A Sunday

First, the general rubrics concerning when a Votive Mass may be offered in the Tridentine Mass are generally fairly well known. There are some changes that occurred in the 20th century up until 1962 so strictly speaking the 1962 rubrics will differ in some respects. The 1962 Rubrics may be viewed by clicking here. The Pre-1962 Rubrics may be viewed by clicking here.

In addition to these general rubrics, there is an interesting exception for certain feasts which were kept on Sundays up until the changes instituted under St. Pius X in 1911/1914. These Feasts were as follows:

• 2nd Sunday after Epiphany: Feast of the Holy Name (this had different Propers to the modern Feast)
• 3rd Sunday after Easter: Feast of St. Joseph
• 1st Sunday in July: The Most Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ
• Sunday within the Octave of the Assumption: St. Joachim
• Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Feast of the Holy Name of Mary
• 3rd Sunday of September: Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• 1st Sunday of October: Feast of the Holy Rosary

In many places, the Feast of Corpus Christi, The Feast of the Sacred Heart, and The Feast of St. Peter and Paul were celebrated as an External Solemnity on the following Sunday. In fact, there was an obligation to do so in some places such as in the United States for the Sunday following Ss. Peter and Paul. Permissions to solemnize the Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul on the Sunday following June 29th were given to the United States on December 19, 1840, and that of Corpus Christi on November 25, 1885.

The Local calendars and those for religious orders give even more examples. After the reforms, the feasts formerly fixed on a Sunday were transferred to a date or to a number of days after the Sunday. But for the good of the faithful, the Mass could be celebrated on its former day.

Other Local Feasts would also be celebrated as External Solemnities and would include:

• Dedication of the Cathedral Church.
• Titular of the Cathedral.
• Patron of the Diocese.
• Dedication of the Chapel / Church.
• Titular of the Chapel / Church.
• Patronal feast of the place.
• A first or second Class Feast in your Diocese or Country.

While it is unusual for External Solemnities to be celebrated on a day other than a Sunday the Rubrics allow this. External Solemnities can also be celebrated for altars/shrines in a Church dedicated to particular Saints. So in short if the Celebrant accepts that this celebration is for the good of the faithful, have an External Solemnity.

Source: Musica Sacra

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Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe for the Conversion of the Americas and the Whole World

O Holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God, who as Our Lady of Guadalupe didst aid in the conversion of Mexico from paganism in a most miraculous way, we now beseech thee to bring about in these our times the early conversion of our modern world from its present neo-paganism to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of thy divine Son, Jesus Christ, starting in the Americas and extending throughout the entire world, so that soon there may be truly “one fold and one shepherd”, with all governments recognizing the reign of they Son, Jesus Christ the King. This we ask of the Eternal Father, through Jesus Christ His Son Our Lord and by thy powerful intercession – all for the salvation of souls, the triumph of the Church and peace in the world. Amen.

Source: Angelus Press 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal, page 1794

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100th Anniversary of the Legion of Mary

The Legion of Mary was the vision of Irishman Frank Duff who on this day, the Nativity of our Blessed Mother, in 1921 founded it to serve the needy and grow in personal and global sanctification. Duff said that all people are “called to be saints.” The Legion he started grew to become the largest apostolic lay organization in the world. 

“The Legion aims to bring Mary to the world as the infallible means of winning the world to Jesus and legionary service is based on the doctrine of the Mystical Body of Christ so that in their fellow members and in those they serve, legionaries seek to have the Person of our Lord once again seen and served by Mary, his Mother.” 

Legionaries meet weekly and offer service to the local Church in the form of spiritual works of mercy. Today let us spare a prayer for their work, especially that they be faithful to the message of our Lady of Fatima and work for the preservation of Traditional Roman Catholicism and the death of the errors of the past sixty years ranging from liberalism and modernism to Communion and Communion in the hand. And may today's Legionaries be especially taught about the errors of religious indifferentism so that they work at all times for the conversion of all non-Catholics to the Catholic Faith.

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