Choosing Music for a Tridentine Requiem Mass

Some years ago I wrote a short article entitled "Choosing Music for a Tridentine Nuptial Mass." As a follow-up, I thought it worthwhile to consider some particulars on choosing music for a Tridentine Requiem (Funeral) Mass. First though a few key points:

1. Make sure you explicitly state in your will that you desire to have a Tridentine Requiem Mass and should not be given a Novus Ordo funeral for any reason. Use those words: "for any reason." For practical purposes, list the parishes or chapels you attend that could offer this and which you would find acceptable (e.g. a reverent priest who will pray for your soul, ample parking for those attending, driving distance not too drastic for people, distance not excessive from the funeral plot where you will be buried, etc).
2. Make it clear in your will that you are only to be buried and not cremated. Again state "for any reason." We know that cremation is not permitted for Catholics, despite what modern clergymen are prone to say.
3. Most importantly, appoint an executor for your will that you know will see to your final wishes. Even if you state that you wish to have a traditional Requiem Mass and be buried, it is possible for the executor to deny your wishes and have you cremated with no funeral. Appoint an executor who will undoubtedly see to the completion of your wishes. 

As to choosing the music to help your executor and the priest when it comes to your funeral, there is thankfully little that needs to be done. Most of the music is already mapped out for you.  There is an Ordinary proper to the Requiem and the Propers themselves leave little room for other musical selections.  At best, you can select Communion music since the Proper is relatively short.  

"Help, Lord, the Souls Which Thou Hast Made" is always a good choice, as it is about Purgatory.  "My Shepherd Will Supply My Need" arr. by Virgil Thomson is a lovely setting of Psalm 23.  There is some flexibility with the procession out of the church as well.  The prescribed chant is "In Paradisum", which could be chanted or sung polyphonically or chorally. 

You may find these PDFs from the Institute of Christ the King very helpful as well.  The first is the burial service.  Typically there is no procession to the church, so you will want to start with the "Subvenite" as the processional piece and then proceed from there.  The second is the Ordinary and Propers for the Mass.  

Lastly, consider putting in your will a request for Gregorian Masses to be said immediately after your death. Indicate where and how to order them (here are some helpful links) and state the approximate cost of each. Other traditional orders beyond that list do offer Gregorian Masses and accept the stipend in the mail. Orders like the Traditional Carmelites in Clear Creek come to mind as doing so.

Many thanks to a long-time friend, Daniel, for his invaluable contributions here.

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Shrine of Christ the King: Easter Sunday 2020

Here are some photos from the live streamed Mass for Easter Sunday celebrated at the Shrine of Christ the King in Chicago, Illinois by Canon Talarico. The Shrine is still regularly broadcasting all of their Masses as the COVID-19 crisis continues. Check out their schedule, or the schedule of other ICKSP apostolates, here.

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Video: The Latin Mass - Immaculate Heart of Mary Oratory

Earlier this year I reviewed 6 Latin Mass Locations in the San Francisco / San Jose Bay Area.  One of those Mass locations is the Immaculate Heart of Mary Oratory in San Jose.  The above is a new video recently published to promote the Traditional Mass in San Jose, and it is exceptionally well done!  Please watch and share.

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Mass Offered for the Donors to the Shrine of Christ the King's Fire Restoration Fund

On Friday, October 23, 2015, Canon Matthew Talarico offered Mass for the intentions of all contributors to the Shrine's Fire Restoration Fund, the fund set up in the aftermath of the October 7 fire. As they state on their GoFundMe Page:

Your friendship and generosity have moved us more than words can express, and for which no material gift can repay. In gratitude, Holy Mass was offered for you and your intentions. 

The Mass was celebrated in the chapel of the priory, adjacent to the fire-ravaged Shrine of Christ the King. Although the priory was not damaged in the fire, it did sustain smoke and water damage that required extensive restorative cleaning. Earlier this week, the priests and candidates were allowed to return to the priory after the cleaning.  

A Mass will be offered weekly for the intentions of all donors. Your kindness and generosity will not be forgotten. Thank you again!

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Shrine of Christ the King: Post Fire Relics

Last week's devastating fire destroyed the entirety of the Shrine of Christ the King in Chicago. The Shrine is my spiritual home, so I have personally felt the trial from this loss. Despite this great trial, there have been consolations.

Last Sunday a Solemn High Mass was said at the neighboring St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church.  On display were a number of items salvaged from the fire-ravaged building.  The images of them are below.

Please say a prayer for the Shrine's priests, the Faithful who call the Shrine home, and the neighboring community.

Please consider making a donation to help this monumental rebuilding using the Shrine's Go Fund Me.

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Shrine of Christ the King Vows to Rebuild

Yesterday a devastating fire destroyed much of my spiritual home, the Shrine of Christ the King.  This loss is especially profound as the Shrine has been under renovation since 2004 and was in its 3rd and final stage of restoration.

The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: as it hath pleased the Lord so is it done: blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21)

I ask for your prayers and support on behalf of the Shrine of Christ the King, a beautiful Shrine that has exclusively offered the Tridentine Latin Mass now for over a decade.  Please click here to donate to the Shrine of Christ the King - donations are very much needed at this time.

Hours after the last flames had been put out, a firefighter walked down the blackened steps of Shrine of Christ the King Church on Wednesday and handed over a statue covered in gold vestments and topped with a crown. 

The statue, known as the Divine Infant Jesus, was made in Spain in the 1700s. It was presented to the 92-year-old church in Woodlawn 10 years ago after the church was spared the wrecking ball and the parish began the long work of restoration.
Smudged but otherwise undamaged, the statue survived an extra-alarm fire overnight that was touched off by renovation work and severely damaged the roof and interior, according to fire officials. To the priests of the parish, it symbolized their intent to rebuild again. 

"The statue is the spiritual centerpiece of our shrine and its community, so people really spiritually identify with it," said the Rev. Matthew Talarico. 

"It's iconic to symbolize all the work and the mission that we do at the church," he said. "It's important that people see that this has been preserved from past years, and this is the first step on the journey forward and that Christ is still with us."
...
Inside the church, charred rubble covered the floor and water soaked the walls and pillars inside. Most of the roof was gone. 

But Talarico remained positive, emphasizing that the parish will still have Masses and carry on other services. 

"The message is that you need to have Good Friday before you can have Easter Sunday," Talarico said with a laugh. 

"We're not starting all over again. This is just another chapter. Our community is here, and we will continue to move forward step by step together. Sometimes circumstances like this bring people even closer together because that common goal really unites us in Christ and with each other. 

"We won't miss a beat," he said, noting that the church has escaped destruction before. 

Source: Chicago Tribune

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Shrine of Christ the King Heavily Damaged in Fire

It is still early to know the full extent of the damage but the Shrine of Christ the King in Chicago, served by the Institute of Christ the King, where I personally attend Mass, has been destroyed by fire. The roof, according to firefighters, will collapse.  Thankfully no one was injured and the historic Infant of Prague state was saved.

Please pray for all involved and for Traditional Catholics in the Archdiocese of Chicago.

I'll share more as I know more.

The fire broke out around 6 a.m. and was raised to a 3-11 alarm, sending 150 firefighters to the scene along with extra equipment to fight the flames shooting through on the roof, Langford said. Part of the roof collapsed but crews tried to save the steeple, Langford said. Around 8 a.m., officials on the scene said the fire was under control and it was struck out shortly before 9 a.m. 

The fire appeared to be accidental, and Langford said officials were looking into whether it was related to the work being done inside. Officials said workers had been varnishing in the church Tuesday night.

Source for images and text: The Chicago Tribune 

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Photos: Blessing of Wine on the Feast of St. John

Today is the annual Blessing of Wine for the Feast of St. John.  Read more here.  Photos were taken this morning at the Shrine of Christ the King in Chicago.

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Why Should a Catholic Have a Devotion to Christ under the Title "Infant King"?

Since 2007, the Shrine of Christ the King in Chicago has embraced a devotion to the Infant King, including a monthly novena. The devotion is gaining more and more adherents, both locally and nationally. In response to some queries about this devotion, Canons of the Shrine answer questions posed to them by the faithful in an interview format.

The questions generally fall into three separate categories: 1) about the Infant King Statue, 2) about the Infant King devotion in general, and 3) about the practice of the novena at the Shrine, including the Children’s Blessing

Part I - About this particular statue of the Infant King

How did this image come to be chosen as the symbol of, and the object of, devotion at the Shrine of Christ the King? A. The mission of the Institute is to draw people closer to our Lord and to spread the splendors of His Kingdom. The Divine Infant, being adorable and approachable, is an ideal representation of Christ's perfections that everyone can relate to; He is attractive and imitable.

Is there a special history behind this 18^th century statue? A. Devotion to the Divine Infant is old. The devotion’s true origin appears already in Sacred Scripture with the example of the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph, the Shepherds, and, who could forget the Adoration of the Magi. The popular devotion as we know it has been particularly strong in Spain since the 15^th Century. This statue at the Shrine was crafted in Spain, as part of that wave of devotion. It was gifted to the Shrine by a benefactor. Its craftsmanship, construction, and artistic merits suggest its age to be the 18^th Century, if not earlier.

When the statute came into the Shrine’s possession, did it need a lot of restoration work? A. It was well-preserved and in very good condition; all it needed was some touching up and a new set of liturgical garments. You’ll notice that He wears a stole as well. This is to remind us that the Infant King is also Sovereign Priest.

Was it important that it be crowned and formally installed at the Shrine of Christ the King in Chicago, IL by Cardinal George? A. "The more you honor Me the more I will bless you" is the promise of the Infant King. The coronation ceremony is a beautiful public display of honor. Having the Ecclesiastical authority do the crowning shows that the Cardinal grants full approval of this devotion and designates the Shrine to be a particular place of honor for the Infant King. This statue is a very special sacramental. Sacramentals are one of the means through which grace is conferred. The blessing and installation of relics and statues in a church, for example, are important because they can inflame our hearts to devotion and open our hearts to grace.

Continue Reading....

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Institute of Christ the King 2013 Ordination Week Photos

The obligatory formation for all our candidates to the holy priesthood is comprised of a one-year course of Spirituality, a two-year course of Philosophy, and a four-year course of Theology. Upon completing the first year, the seminarians receive the black cassock, a symbol of mourning for Christ and dying to sin and the world. This year, sixteen seminarians received their cassocks in a solemn ceremony at the church of Sts. Michele e Gaetano in Florence, from the Prior General of the Institute, Monsignor Gilles Wach.

Please pray for the seminarians and their perseverance toward the priesthood!

Photo - the five deacons on their way to be ordained to the priesthood, on July 4, 2013. Please ask the intercession of St. John Vianney and pray for these new priests of the Church.

His Excellency, the Most Reverend Matthew Madega, Bishop of Mouila, Gabon, conferred Minor Orders on July 2, 2013. In the first minor order of Tonsure, five locks of hair are removed by the Bishop in the shape of the cross, and a white surplice is given to symbolize a new man in Christ. After the second year, the seminarian is called by the Bishop to the next step: the Minor Order of Porter. The duties of the porter are to ring the bells and to open the church and sacristy. A man learns responsibility for the care of the house of God.

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Institute of Christ the King Monthly Novena

A monthly novena of prayer is offered at the Shrine of Christ the King to the Christ Child from the 17th - 25th each month, giving you the opportunity to present your prayer petitions to our little Infant King! For your donation, a flower will be placed before the Infant King or a candle burned in His presence, as visible signs of your prayer intention throughout the next monthly novena.

Intentions received before the 15th are remembered in the current month's novena.

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Shrine of Christ the King: Christmas Schedule

If anyone will be assisting at these Masses at the Shrine of Christ the King in Chicago, IL, please let me know.  I will be in attendance and would love to meet you. 

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Photo: Mass at the Abbey of Santa Maria in Montepiano.

Twenty new seminarians assisting at Mass celebrated by Monsignor Gilles Wach, while on retreat at the Abbey of Santa Maria in Montepiano.  

Source: Institute of Christ the King Facebook Page

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October 14, 2012: Pontifical High Mass at Shrine of Christ the King

Sunday, October 14  Pontifical High Mass Celebrated By  Bishop Joseph N. Perry  10:00 am

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Institute of Christ the King Purchases Limerick Church

From the Press Release:

With the help of numerous friends from Ireland, the United States and Continental Europe, the Church of the Sacred Heart at the Crescent in Limerick, also known as the Jesuit Church after its first builders and long-term occupants, was recently purchased by a young priestly community called the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. The church and adjacent building, sold to a developer some years ago, had stood vacant for six years and was in danger of falling into ruin. Therefore many people from Limerick and other parts of Ireland were happy to help this Institute bring the Church of the Sacred Heart and its residence back to life.

....

In Limerick, the Institute of Christ the King, supported by many local residents and a large group of friends in Ireland and abroad, intends to restore the Church of the Sacred Heart to its original purpose as a vibrant spiritual and cultural centre and a beautiful place of worship through a dynamic and open community life as a spiritual family. However, this will require a careful historical restoration before the Church may be opened once again to the greater public.

The Institute of Christ the King celebrates the classical Roman Liturgy, the Latin Mass, in its Extraordinary Form according to the liturgical books promulgated by Blessed Pope John XXIII in 1962. This liturgy, promoted by Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI in various documents, attracts today an ever greater number of people, especially young adults, students and families. The Institute is accustomed to see a lively family of faithful in its churches and wishes to bring the uplifting beauty of sacrality and genuine culture to all.

This beautiful church at the Crescent is still today a special architectural jewel, and many deplored its closing and long-term vacancy.  The Institute of Christ the King, which has a special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, truly desires to reopen this church for the benefit of all, in close collaboration with the local civil and ecclesiastical authorities. In this way, yet another sign of a brighter future will again come alive in Limerick.

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Fr. Jean-Pierre Herman: 25th Ordination Anniversary

The above photo is in honor of Fr. Jean-Pierre Herman, who celebrated the 10am Solemn High Mass at Saint Francis de Sales Oratory in Saint Louis on the occasion of his 25th Anniversary to the Priesthood. The choir performed the Vierne Mass, Messe Solonnelle, on this joyous occasion. 

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, Chief Shepherd of the flock, we pray that in the great love and mercy of your Sacred Heart you attend to all the needs of your priest-shepherds throughout the world. We ask that you draw back to your Heart all those priests who have seriously strayed from your path, that you rekindle the desire for holiness in the hearts of those priests who have become lukewarm, and that you continue to give your fervent priests the desire for the highest holiness. United with your Heart and Mary’s Heart, we ask that you take this petition to your heavenly Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Sursum Corda: Institute of Christ the King Summer Camps

Photo: from last year's Sursum Corda retreat, for young adults age 18 and older. 

This year's Sursum Corda retreat will be from August 10-13, in Milwaukee. Register online through the website of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.

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Traditional Latin Mass In Honor of Blessed Karl of Austria in Aliquippa, PA

Traditional Latin Mass In Honor of Blessed Karl of Austria

Sunday, 29 April 2012, 2:00 PM

St. Titus Church
952 Franklin Avenue
Aliquippa, PA 15001

Celebrant: Canon Jean-Marie Moreau of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest

Veneration of the Relic of Blessed Karl

Free Luncheon and Conference after Mass on the life of Blessed Karl and his cause for sainthood.
Speaker: Brother Nathan Cochran, OSB, Delegate to the USA/Canada, Emperor Karl League of Prayers for Peace Among Nations

Sponsored by:
Knights of Columbus Woodlawn Council 2161
Traditional Latin Mass Guild

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Should Traditional Catholics Attend the Novus Ordo?

In recent news, Catholics may have seen that the Institute of Christ the King encourages concelebration in the Novus Ordo with bishops (source).  In Msgr. Rifan's scandalous defense of concelebration, he says, "I do not see why we should, if it were asked of us, reject this sign (concelebrating- sign of communion with the bishop)" (note: this is an English translation of the Spanish text)

This is just one example to show you that the Institute and by far the vast majority of other non-SSPX orders are attached to the Tridentine Mass for a feeling of nostalgia or "preference." This is not what makes someone a Traditional Catholic.

A traditional Catholic knows that a Catholic can not attend a Novus Ordo, or go to a Novus Ordo ordained priest, or support religious liberty, ecumenism, or collegiality. Why is this?  Because in so doing, they are denying the Traditional dogmas and authority of the Universal Church on ecumenism, religious liberty, and even on the propitiatory nature of the Sacrifice of the Mass.  In the Novus Ordo, unlike the traditional Roman Rite (and other Traditional Rites), the word propitiatory does not appear in the beginning of the Novus Ordo Roman Missal's doctrinal exposition.

The very nature of the Novus Ordo Sacraments, while not necessarily invalid (but questionable in many instances), bear in them the theology of the New Rite and the Post Vatican II Church.  To frequent these Sacraments is to mix the good, true, and beautiful with that which is present in the New Sacraments: novelty.  By receiving the Novus Ordo Sacraments, you profess your Communion in and with the beliefs of the Novus Ordo Church, even those beliefs that are flawed.

His Grace Bishop Williamson comments in his "Eleison Comments" #241 in February 2012 the following:

For instance a Protestant may believe in God, he may even believe in the divinity of the man Jesus of Nazareth, but if he does not believe in the Real Presence of God, body, blood, soul and divinity, beneath the appearances of bread and wine after their consecration at Mass, then he has a profoundly different and deficient concept of the love of Jesus Christ and of the God in whom he believes. Can one then say that the true Protestant and the true Catholic believe in the same God ? Vatican II says one can, and on the basis of supposedly more or less shared beliefs between Catholics and all non-Catholics, it builds its ecumenism. On the contrary Dr Schüler illustrates by a series of comparisons that what may look like the same belief, when it forms part of two different creeds, is not really the same at all. Here is one illustration: oxygen molecules mixed with nitrogen are the selfsame molecules as when compounded with hydrogen, but they are as different in the two cases as the air we breathe (O + 4N) from the water we drink (H20)!

Even a number of priests offering the Traditional Sacraments (e.g. the FSSP) were ordained in the Novus Ordo ordination rite.  And many priests (non SSPX that is) that happen to have received traditional ordinations, received them from bishops who were themselves ordained to the episcopacy in the Novus Ordo.

Oil and water do not mix just as theological novelties and the unerring, immutable, eternal Truths of the Catholic Faith.

Just to summarize, this particular issue is one of great complexity and no one post can do justice to the situation to explain it fully in terms of its philosophical, theological, and societal implications.  I merely wish to raise the question that very few Traditionalist raise, namely, whether or not Traditional Catholics should (or can) attend the Novus Ordo.

The following segment of What We Have Lost...And the Road to Restoration helps to give a concise overview of the depths of the problem.


I would invite all of you to also read Why You Should Not Attend the Novus Ordo. This particular document helps go in more detail with the problems inherent in the Novus Ordo.  An additional resource is the Society's page: Is the New Mass Legit? As said by His Excellency Marcel Lefebvre, "The Novus Ordo Missae, even when said with piety and respect for the liturgical rules, is impregnated with the spirit of Protestantism...it bears within it a poison harmful to the Faith"

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Pope offers plenary indulgence to all who attend opening of first church in Britain dedicated to Extraordinary Form

Pope Benedict XVI is offering a Papal Blessing with an attached Plenary Indulgence for all the faithful who attend the grand opening of the Shrine Church of Ss Peter and Paul and St Philomena, New Brighton, Wirral, on March 24

The Mass will mark the opening of the shrine church following the closure of the parish church in 2008 amid rising maintenance and repair costs.

The shrine church will be a special place of prayer and devotion open every day for adoration of the Most Holy Eucharist.

The church will also serve as a centre in the Diocese of Shrewsbury for the celebration of the Holy Mass and other sacraments in the Latin Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

The Parish of Holy Apostles and Martyrs is served from the Parish Church of English Martyrs and Father Philip Moor, the parish priest, will assist at the opening Mass.

Source: Diocese of Shrewsburg

(Pictures of Canon Olivier Meney of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, celebrating Mass in the Weekday Chapel of Ss Peter and Paul and St Philomena, New Brighton, and of the dome of the shrine church by Simon Caldwell, St Gabriel News and Media)

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