Online Tridentine Mass Stipend Requests

For those of us who attend the Tridentine Mass, we may find it difficult to arrange a time to have a Mass said for our intentions. Whether it be for the repose of the soul of a deceased friend or family member, a Mass said in thanksgiving for birthday blessings, or a Mass to beseech the Divine Majesty for a particular intention, we often have the need to request Masses often throughout the year. But many Traditional Mass chapels limit the number of Masses to a certain number per family or the next available date for a Mass to be said could be weeks, if not months, away.

Thankfully, there are a number of organizations and orders who offer the Tridentine Mass (some 1962 Missals and some pre-1955 Missals) and accept online Mass stipends. Some of these are religious orders which could really use the stipend as a means to support the priest as some traditional priests have stipends as a sole (or at least) a major source of their support.

Here is a list of several Orders / Communities that accept online Tridentine Mass stipends:

1. St. Gertrude the Great

The majority of the Mass intentions received through this site are passed along to poorer traditional Catholic priests we know in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and Nigeria. They rely on these stipends to provide a living. Individual Mass stipends are $25 and Gregorian Masses are offered for $800. You may also request a Novena of Masses for $225. You may visit the Mass request page here.

2. Servants of the Holy Family

For $21, you can request a Mass to be said by the Servants of the Holy Family. $1 is for processing charges and $20 will go to the priest. You may request a Mass here. You may also request a Gregorian Mass for $930. $30 is for processing fees which can be avoided if you pay via a check in the mail. You may request a Gregorian Mass here.

3. Fraternité Saint Vincent Ferrier

Based in France, the Fraternité Saint Vincent Ferrier is a Catholic religious institute of pontifical right that follows Dominican spirituality and uses the traditional Dominican Rite. Masses may be requested for 17 Euros online here. A novena of Masses may be requested for 170 Euros or Gregorian Masses for 550 Euros.

4. Fr. Samuel Maria of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart

Mass stipends help support these traditional priests. The suggested amount is typically $15-25 per Mass. However, the faithful are free to offer whatever they can. For a set of Gregorian Masses (That is, 30 consecutive Masses for a Holy Soul in Purgatory) in USA it is usually a donation of $400-$800. Learn more.

5. Individual Priests / Bishops

5.1 Archbishop Vigano and his priests who continue to fight the error of modernism head on.

5.2. Father Thomas Maria Paul is a Carmelite priest currently residing in Kerala, India and was ordained in the Syro Malabar eastern Rite. He has experienced firsthand the effects of modernism and a loss of faith within the Eastern Rites. Through a deepening of faith and desire to remain faithful to tradition, Father Thomas found refuge in learning the Traditional Latin Mass. He accepts donations and Mass stipends.

6. Society of St. Pius X

Lastly, unfortunately, the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) does not accept online Mass requests. Their page provides information on where to mail a check. Their current stipend amount is $20

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Why have a Mass for a Deceased Loved One?

Q: What is the Mass?

Mass is the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross and for that reason, it is by definition efficacious.  We are present at Calvary.  Rather than merely remembering the life and death of Christ, we are present at it and partake of its eternal fruits which flow to us from the altar when the priest stands in the place of Christ and offers the Eternal Victim on the altar to God.  

Q: What is the value of the Mass?

The Miraculous Value of the Holy Mass is well documented by a number of the saints whose inspiring writings and visions bear testimony to this: “My son, if men only knew the value of the Holy Mass, they would be forever on their knees listening to it” (Padre Pio to Vittorio Chimetto)

“The Holy Mass is the renewal of the sacrifice of the Cross”. It is the sacrifice that detains Divine justice, that rules the entire Church, that saves the world. In the hour of death, the Masses that you have devoutly attended will be your greatest consolation. In each Mass the temporal suffering due to your sins is diminished in accordance with the degree of commitment you bring to it. In each Mass, Jesus forgives you the venial sins you have not confessed but have repented. In each Mass, Satan’s dominion over you is reduced. One Mass heard by you in your life does more good than many that may be heard for you after your death. In each Mass, you are given protection against dangers and misfortunes that would otherwise have befallen you. With each Mass your time in Purgatory is reduced. The Holy Sacrifice is the most effective of prayers, over and above all other prayers, good works and penance; by its own virtue it immediately and infallibly produces effect in favour of souls. Each Mass procures for you a higher grade of glory in Heaven. And you are blessed also in your personal affairs and interests. “If we only knew the worth of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass,with how much greater zeal we would listen it” (the Holy Cure of Ars).

“You must be aware, Christian, that the Mass is the most sacred act of religion: you can do nothing more glorious for God, nor more advantageous for your soul, that to piously and as frequently as possible attend Mass” (B.B Eymard)

“It is worth more to hear a single Mass that to distribute all your riches among the poor and to make pilgrimage throughout the whole earth” (St. Bernard).

“The Lord grants us all we ask of him in the Holy Mass, and what’s more, He grants us even what we do not think of asking but which we also need!" (St Girolamo).

“Be sure”, Jesus said to St. Gertrude, “that to the one who listens devoutly to the Holy Mass, in the last moments of life, I will send him many of my Saints to comfort and protect him, in accordance with the Masses he has attended well” (Book 3, chapter 16.)

So to summarize, we wish to make clear that the Mass truly is the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross.  

Q. Since the Mass is the same as the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, Why Is One Mass Said Not Necessarily Sufficient to Free A Soul From Purgatory?

On this question, The Purgatorian Manual well explains:

"The Sacrifice of the Mass is the great devotion of the Catholic Church, and, of all means to assist the souls in Purgatory, none is more valuable or meritorious; for there Jesus Christ offers Himself and His infinite merits to His Heavenly Father, by the hands of the Priest, in behalf of the suffering souls. The unbloody Sacrifice of the Mass does not essentially differ from the sacrifice of the cross, but only accidentally as to the mode of oblation, and no limit can be placed to the effect of this great sacrifice, which contains in itself all graces. From this inestimable efficacy, however, we may not infer that the offering of one Mass is sufficient to release the souls we love; for, though the Sacrifice on Calvary was infinite, we cannot conclude that the application of it, through the Mass, must also be infinite. St. Thomas Aquinas tells us, it was not the intention of Jesus Christ to bestow the full efficacy of His suffering and death, which is celebrated in every Mass, upon us; His merits are applied according to His Adorable Will, for the ways of God are often inscrutable. It is very salutary, therefore, to have the Holy Sacrifice offered frequently for the repose of a soul. Should the souls who are dear to us, for whom we intercede in this manner, be already in the enjoyment of eternal will bestow the merit of the Masses offered on other suffering souls."

Q: When a Mass is said for the soul of a deceased loved one, does this help lessen the soul's time in purgatory?

A: Just as we pray for others here on earth, we are encouraged by the Church to pray for souls who may be in purgatory. Why? We are all in need of grace to come into the perfection of charity. We cannot enter heaven if we have not been completely cleansed of sin and all punishment due to sin.

Since the Mass is the "source and summit" of the Christian Life, we naturally look to that Holy Sacrifice of Christ, containing the perfect prayer, to offer for our deceased relatives and friends who may still need the help of our prayers. Priests are under a strict obligation to remember in a special way the person for whom the Mass is being offered. Often you will hear the priests say the name of the person in the part of the Mass which specifically remembers those who have gone before us. Sometimes the intention for the Mass is listed in the bulletin or announced before the Mass.

We can't really speak of "time" since the deceased person has entered eternity, but we can speak in terms of "final purification" before entrance into heaven. We believe that a Mass offered for a departed relative or friend may help hasten that final purification which he/she may still be undergoing in purgatory.  So yes, a Mass does help lessen the soul's time in purgatory.

And since the Mass truly is the Sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, it is the most perfect prayer and sacrifice.  As such, there is nothing more glorious that we can offer to God on behalf of souls.

Q: How exactly can I have a Mass said for the repose of the soul of a friend/relative?

A: Ask a priest to offer a Mass for the intention of the repose of the soul of your friend or relative. We also highly encourage having Gregorian Masses said for the repose of the deceased. These pious practices are truly worthwhile. For more information on Gregorian Masses and how to have one offered, see the American TFP Website. 

Separately from Gregorian Masses, see the Regina Caeli Purgatorial Society and enroll as many souls as you would like.  There is no cost. For other places where you can request Tridentine Masses for the souls of the departed, please click here.

Q. What Indulged Prayers May I Offer for the Benefit of my loved one's soul?

For a listing of hundreds of prayers with indulgences and special blessings attached to them, be sure to refer to a copy of the Raccolta often. And for a list of other private works that you can do for the souls of the dead in purgatory (e.g. heroic acts of charity, fasting, etc) please click here.

Related Posts:

• Traditional Funeral Rite for the Popes
• Having a Requiem Mass for a Deceased Pontiff
• Devotions for the Dead: Prayers, Masses for the Dead, Purgatory, etc
• Religious Orders That Accept Online Mass Stipends

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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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Priests from Nebraska Lead Rite's Resurgence of Latin Mass

I wish to thank the person who kindly sent me this article via email. My comments follow in red while emphasis is in bold. Fr. Z at WDTPRS has excellent photos with commentary for this occasion.

Priests from Nebraska lead rite's resurgence of Latin Mass

Christopher Burbach
Omaha World-Herald, Neb.

Released : Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:00 AM

May 31 -- LINCOLN -- A cardinal from the Vatican, surrounded by 50 priests.

Gregorian chants floating through clouds of incense.

A 3 1/2 -hour Mass, sung in Latin mostly by priests facing the altar.

A cathedral packed to standing-room-only with lots of families with lots of children, women and girls in veils, men in suits, boys in neckties and close-cropped haircuts.

Catholics kneeling to take communion.

The ordination at Lincoln's Cathedral of the Risen Christ on Friday seemed oh-so-retro. But it was hardly an exercise in nostalgia. It was more like back to the future for a small but growing minority that seeks a louder voice in the Roman Catholic Church -- those devoted to the old Latin liturgy known as the Tridentine Mass.

It's a big deal for Catholics because many equate bringing back the Tridentine Mass, which dates to the 16th century, with rejecting the 1960s reforms of Vatican II. Proponents see it as finally bringing back sacredness, God-oriented reverence and tradition that had been left behind.

Whatever the reaction, Friday's events in Lincoln were a further sign that the Latin Mass is on a rebound some 40 years after it was replaced, in the wake of Vatican II, by the modern Mass. The newer rite is celebrated in the local language with the priest facing the congregation.

The Latin Mass was largely shunned for nearly 20 years. It began a comeback when Pope John Paul II approved its use in 1984 [It was never forbidden: "It is, therefore, permissible to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass following the typical edition of the Roman Missal promulgated by Bl. John XXIII in 1962 and never abrogated, as an extraordinary form of the Liturgy of the Church" (Summorum Pontificum)], then further encouraged its use in 1988 with a letter known as Ecclesia Dei Adflicta.

The rebound accelerated last year when Pope Benedict XVI decreed, in a document called a motu proprio, that priests no longer needed their bishops' approval to say the old Latin Mass, or as the pope calls it, the extraordinary form of the Roman rite.

Denton, Neb., a small town outside Lincoln, is a center of the movement. It's home to Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, which prepares men from all over the world to be priests in the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. That organization is the largest of the priestly societies authorized by the Vatican to preserve ancient liturgical traditions.

Friday's service in the Lincoln cathedral was the ordination of four Fraternity of St. Peter priests. They were ordained by Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, head of the Vatican department that oversees matters regarding the Latin Mass. His appearance in Lincoln was not only a sign of the Nebraska seminary's importance to Rome, but also a further symbol of encouragement from a pope seen as friendly to those who love the Latin Mass.

The ordination Mass was televised live on Eternal Word Television Network, an international Catholic cable network.

Like many of the 800-plus people at Friday's ordination, Wyoming Catholic College teacher Thaddeus Kozinski saw Friday's ordination in the context of Pope Benedict's recent U.S. visit and last year's papal decree.

"What you're seeing is a resurgence in traditional Catholicism and a public vindication of it," Kozinski said as he and his family joined a throng chatting on the cathedral steps after the service. "It's not marginalized anymore."

Kozinski said he hopes his fellow devotees of the Latin Mass will respond with joy and gratitude to God.

About 300 Latin Masses are offered each Sunday in the United States, according to the Coalition in Support of Ecclesia Dei, an Illinois-based lay group that promotes the old liturgy. That's up from about 175 a Sunday in 2001. [Deo Gratias!]

Latin Masses are offered each Sunday at such churches as Immaculate Conception Church, on South 24th Street in Omaha, and St. Francis of Assisi Church, 1145 South St. in Lincoln. About 250 people combined attend the three Masses at Immaculate Conception.

"It's a drop in the bucket," said Mary Kraychy, executive director of the Coalition in Support of Ecclesia Dei. "But it's growing."

The Denton institution is the Fraternity of St. Peter's English-speaking seminary. The fraternity also has a seminary in Germany. Currently, 45 seminarians are enrolled at Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The seminary recently was expanded to accommodate 100 students, said the Rev. Joseph Lee, a priest of the society. It draws seminarians from around the world and sends priests around the world.

The Fraternity of St. Peter has nearly 200 priests worldwide. Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary also is one of the largest providers of training for priests who wish to learn the old Latin Mass. Since June 2007, priests from more than 60 dioceses have been trained.

The society moved the seminary to Nebraska from Pennsylvania in 2000. Lincoln Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz invited the society to his diocese, but the seminary is independent of the diocese. Rather, the society reports directly to Rome.

Demand from priests and parishioners has increased since Benedict XVI's much-anticipated 2007 decree, Lee said. The pope wanted to make sure that the extraordinary form of the Roman rite is preserved and made available to Catholics who desire it, Lee said.

What Benedict XVI didn't intend with the decree, and he said so himself in a letter to bishops, was for the Latin Mass to replace the modern Mass, known as the Novus Ordo. The pope refers to that liturgy as the ordinary form of the Roman rite.

"It (the decree) doesn't require it. and it doesn't encourage replacing the Novus Ordo," said Eileen Burke-Sullivan, an assistant professor of theology at Creighton University. "The emotional and spiritual needs of people are very varied. There isn't one size that fits all."

Devotees of the Latin Mass include older Catholics who grew up with it and wish it had never gone away, as well as younger people raised on modern Masses.

Omahan Erin Sullivan grew up on English-speaking Masses but found a church home where the Tridentine Mass was offered. For about five years, she and her husband, Jim, and their children attended Latin Mass at St. Patrick Catholic Church. They moved about a year ago, with their seven children, to Immaculate Conception when Omaha Archbishop Elden Curtiss gave that parish to the Fraternity of St. Peter to administer.

Sullivan, who sang in the choir at Friday's ordination, said she was attracted to the Tridentine Mass by "its beauty and its reverence, its silence and its solemnity."

"When you attend the Latin Mass, there's no doubt that there's something holy and special going on," she said.

Image Source: Of EWTN, via WDTPRS

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Words of Inspiration: June 21

"The dying should be given attention and care to help them live their last moments in dignity and peace. They will be helped by the prayer of their relatives, who must see to it that the sick receive at the proper time the sacraments that prepare them to meet the living God" (CCC 2299)

Please remember to pray for the sick and dying. Pray not only the Rosary for them but also the Divine Mercy Chaplet. And please do not pray just for their physical body but most importantly their soul. When a relative does die, please have Gregorian Masses said for him/her.

Image Source: Holy Cards

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Prayers Needed for Fr. Michael Rodriguez's Unjust Persecution

The following is a press release from Fr. Michael Rodriguez concerning the unprecedented legal action taken by (his) Bishop Armando Ochoa against him (I formatted the press release to eliminate spaces, content has not been touched or changed):


H/T The American Catholic.

On January 12, 2012, Most Rev. Armando Ochoa, Administrator of the Diocese of El Paso, filed a lawsuit against me. Once again, I want to reiterate that his action is dishonest and unjust. I pose the simple question: over the course of the past 9 ½ years, who is the one who has been laboring, struggling, sacrificing day and night, and caring for the spiritual and material well-being of San Juan Bautista Catholic Church? Has it been Fr. Michael Rodríguez or Most Rev. Armando Ochoa? Based on the factual record, which of the two has greater credibility when it comes to protecting and furthering the spiritual and material patrimony of San Juan Bautista?

SPIRITUAL GOODS

Over the course of my 9 ½ years as parish administrator of San Juan Bautista, by the grace and mercy of God, the following spiritual goods were “achieved”:

1) Restoration of the glorious Traditional Latin Mass

2) Gradual restoration of the Catholic Church’s sacred language, Latin

3) Gradual restoration of Gregorian Chant and sacred music

4) Devout and worthy reception of the Holy Eucharist on the tongue and kneeling, accompanied by preparatory and thanksgiving prayers

5) Silence at Holy Mass and a real catholic sense of the sacred

6) Modest dress and reverent behavior at Holy Mass and inside church

7) Two daily Masses at 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

8. Holy Hours with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at least four times per week

9) Regularly-scheduled Confessions at least five times per week; Confession available at any time, day or night, by appointment

10) Stations of the Cross every Friday in both english (12:30 p.m.) and spanish (6:45 p.m.)

11) Parish Lenten Missions in both english and spanish

12) Numerous vocations to the priesthood and religious life

13) Christ the King, Corpus Christi, and Our Lady of Guadalupe Processions through the neighborhood

14) In addition to the standard Catechism and Sacramental Preparation classes which most parishes have (at San Juan, these classes took place on Saturdays and Sundays), there were Classes in the Faith for the entire parish (in both english and spanish) on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. I personally taught one class every Tuesday evening, and two on Thursday evenings

15) Promotion of many Marian devotions, e.g. parish novenas to Our Lady of Sorrows and Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, First Saturday prayers to Our Lady of Perpetual Help

16) Promotion of the Message of Our Lady of Fatima

17) Daily recitation of the Holy Rosary

18) First Friday devotions

19) First Saturday devotions. I personally led these every First Saturday of the month from 6:30-7:30 a.m.

20) I gave a monthly “mini-retreat” (in spanish) on First Saturdays for the Guadalupanas and other interested parishioners from 8:45-11:30 a.m, consisting of the Holy Rosary and a workshop on prayer.

21) Special First Saturday of the month Mass at 1:00 a.m. to help the faithful fulfill the requirements of the First Five Saturdays.

22) Holy Rosary every Sunday at 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. prior to Holy Mass

23) Holy Rosary every Saturday evening at 4:30 p.m. prior to Holy Mass

24) Different devotions and chaplets prayed after every weekend Mass

25) All-day Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on First Fridays

26) All-night Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on First Fridays

27) Devotion to the Precious Blood on Thursday nights at 11:00 p.m.

28) At least weekly, I personally took Holy Communion to the sick & homebound of the parish

29) A daily Procession through the neighborhood on the Rogation Days (the three days prior to Ascension Thursday)

30) Promotion of abstinence of meat on every Friday of the year and promotion of the penitencial aspect of every Friday of the year

Tragically, since my removal from San Juan Bautista on Sept. 20, 2011, it is not an exaggeration to say that none of the above exists anymore at San Juan Bautista. It is absolutely shocking! Masses have been cancelled. Confessions and Holy Hours have been cancelled, etc. Can anyone, anyone, seriously think that the diocese is carrying out its “sacred duty” to safeguard the spiritual goods of San Juan Bautista anywhere close to what Fr. Michael Rodríguez was doing?

TEMPORAL GOODS

San Juan Bautista is a poor parish, and the weekly Sunday collection before my arrival in May 2002, was usually less than $1,000.00. Over the course of my 9 ½ years as parish administrator, by the grace and mercy of God, the following building projects were achieved:

1) A beautiful, new tabernacle

2) An initial renovation of the sanctuary including a new addition for the tabernacle, new statues, a new communion rail, and a new marble floor

3) The installation of two magnificent, new Church bells

4) Complete renovation of the parish kitchen, including a brand new tile floor and new cabinets

5) Renovation of the parish hall storage garage with new cabinets

6) A completely new tile floor for the parish hall

7) A new porch for the parish hall

8. A brand new roof for the Church

9) All the Church and parish hall air-conditioning units were replaced with new ones

10) Exterior renovation of the Church: two new side entry ramps to the Church with railing

11) Exterior renovation of the Church: a new side-porch to the Church

12) Completely new asphalt for the entire Church parking lot

13) New exterior lighting for the Church and parking lot

14) An entirely new storage building-complex behind the rectory

15) A beautiful new GROTTO to Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe with multiple shrines, a fountain, an altar, plaques, gardens

[still in the process of being completed when I was transferred]

16) The renovation of the sanctuary and a new high altar according to the norms of the ancient form of the Roman Rite

[still in its intial stages when I was transferred]

Can anyone, anyone, seriously think that the diocese is carrying out its “sacred duty” to safeguard the temporal goods of San Juan Bautista anywhere close to what Fr. Michael Rodríguez was doing?

Please continue to entrust me to loving protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Immaculate and Sorrowful Mother.

Fr. Michael Rodríguez
Parochial Vicar, Santa Teresa de Jesús Catholic Church
Presidio, TX

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Jade Music: 99 Essential Chants

A Catholic Life is proud to again support the efforts of Jade Music in the promotion of sacred and holy music. I have attended beautiful Masses with outstanding orchestras as well as simple, elegant Gregorian Chant at St. Agnes Parish (St. Paul, Minnesota) for example. And, I am proud to continue promoting sacred music. In the past I have reviewed Anthology: Chants and Polyphony from St. Michael's Abbey, Into Great Silence: Office of the Night, Marriage of the Heavens and the Earth, Into Great Silence: Soundtrack, Oliver Messiaen: Never Before Released. A Catholic Life is pleased to again promote this new offering by Jade Music!

Hi there, Exciting news! On Saturday June 20, one day before Father's Day, we are offering 99 Essential Chants for 99 cents on Amazon.com. The selection includes chant music from around the world that we have been collecting and distributing over the last 20 years! Our first effort with Amazon.com released a few months ago, 99 Perfectly Relaxing Songs, charted #28 on the Billboard Top 200. The entire bundle of 99 Chants is available for 99 cents on June 20 - a perfect gift for Father's Day. Please find our PR below and attached. Also attached is the cover art. I'm happy to answer any questions. Sincerely, Stefan

Please visit Amazon.com for purchasing information. In addition, below is the Press Release about this exciting new offer. View the Press Release They are right now priced at $5.99 but tomorrow lowered to $0.99. Visit the link below on Saturday and take advantage of this outstanding offer!

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A Tour of Catholicism in the Netherlands and Belgium

Over the past few years I have been privileged to travel to several great Catholic nations and cities.  The Vatican, Rome, Florence, Munich, Madrid, and Vienna are just a few of the European cities I’ve explored in the past two years.  My travels have taken me to forgotten shrines, mountain monasteries, precious relics of incorruptible saints, and some of the most sacred places on earth.

This year I wanted to take a different route. I wanted to travel to those formerly Catholic cities in the Netherlands and Belgium – cities where the Faith was attacked by the Protestants and where the Church’s martyrs grew in vast numbers.  These cities have as of late largely been attacked with the assault of liberalism, modernism, and secularism.  Nowadays, few souls remain attached to any religion and in the Netherlands over half of the population is irreligious.  Catholics make up the next largest share but the total number of citizens who belong to any religion is shocking low at 32%.  Belgium – while on paper seems much larger in number of Catholics – has been infected with liberalism since their constitution in 1831.  The nation is a proponent of euthanasia, abortion, and same-sex “marriage.”  Alas, these two nations have fallen far from their more glorious and faithful past.

So this March I endeavored to travel to these nations and pray for the souls there.  I wanted to see the relics that remained, venerate the Catholic shrines there, and pray along the way for the souls who need prayers.
 
Amsterdam

My journey started on March 3, 2018, as I arrived in Amsterdam.  The city is home to a few Catholic destinations – the main one being St. Nicholas Basilica which is located just a few minutes’ walk from the Amsterdam Central Train station.  The Basilica has a collection of religious murals and above the high altar is the crown of Maximilian I, the Holy Roman Emperor from 1486 - 1519. In a country of few Catholic places of worship compared with Protestant ones, the Basilica of St. Nicholas is actually the city’s main Catholic Church.  Built in 1887, it was only declared a Minor Basilica recently on its 125th anniversary.

The Basilica is beautiful and well worth a visit. They even offer Latin Vespers each Sunday at 17:00, and while there I had the chance to sit and pray along as they chanted Traditional Gregorian Vespers – a true rarity to find!

The next day in Amsterdam started with a morning Mass at St. Agnes Church, which is run by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter.  Located just 20 or so minutes via tram from St. Nicholas, the church is staffed by several priests and Confessions can be heard in either Dutch or English, since English is known and spoken by virtually all of Amsterdam’s residents.  The FSSP parish is a true gem of Faith in a country that needs our prayers.
 
Utrecht

After a few days in Amsterdam, I ventured down to the true religious heart of the Netherlands in the city of Utrecht.  There I visited the beautiful Church of St. Willibrord which offers the Traditional Latin Mass and also paid a visit to the city’s Cathedral, which was taken over by the Protestants after the Protestant Reformation.

The highlight of Utrecht is the city’s towering Dom Tower, a true testimony of the great dedication of the past people for Utrecht and the Kingdom of the Netherlands for the Faith.  The Gothic style Tower is the largest church tower in all of the Netherlands at 112.5 meters high. Join me in praying for the conversion of these people through the intercession of The Martyrs of Gorkum, St. Willibrord, St. Oda, St. Bernold, and the other saints of the Netherlands.

Antwerp

After spending a few days in the Netherlands, I took a train from Amsterdam to Antwerp, Belgium, a city on the border of Belgium and the Netherlands.  And this part of the journey did not disappoint.

I arrived in Antwerp’s central train station and it is one of the most unique central stations of Europe, as it is adorned with over twenty different kinds of stone and features soaring, arched windows.  The station allows in a significant amount of sunlight, which is a welcome sight in a country that has a disproportionate amount of rainfall.

My primary destination in Antwerp was the Cathedral of Our Lady, built in 1521.  The belfry of the cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the place contained more triptychs than I have ever seen combined – several famous paintings by Rubens including his legendary works: Elevation of the Cross and his Descent from the Cross are there in triptychs.  I was delighted to also see his impressive painting of the Lord’s Resurrection here in a small side chapel as well.  While most of the Cathedrals I have visited in Europe are free to enter, this one charged a nominal admission fee but it was well worth the price.

The Cathedral itself is a metaphor of the eventual return of the Faith to this part of the world.  Back in 1794, the French revolutionaries - the same ones who murdered nuns and destroyed cathedrals, plundered Our Lady's Cathedral in Antwerp and left it in serious damage.  In fact, the French government sought to completely demolish the building in 1798 but the Cathedral persisted.  At last, in 1816, many priceless works of art were finally restored from Paris as the French liberal government disbanded and the Bourbon Kings were restored to the Throne of France.  During this time, the three Rubens masterpieces were returned and restored to their rightful place in the Cathedral.

The Cathedral itself has undergone significant renovations and completed a major renovation back in 1993. The Cathedral cannot be overemphasized.  No visit to Northern Europe would be complete with this awe-inspiring and art-rich destination.  In fact, of all the museums and Cathedrals I have visited, only the Louve, religious art museum in Florence and the Vatican Museum had, in my opinion, a more impressive art collection.

Antwerp is a fascinating town and well worth a shortstop.  After roughly 4 hours in the city, I headed back to the central station and passed through Ghent before arriving in my next Belgian stop: Bruges.

Bruges

Hidden in this small, medieval town which features cobblestone streets and the sense of stepping back in time is the wonderful Basilica of the Holy Blood.   The Basilica was built in the 12th century to house a precious relic of the Holy Blood.  The relic is a cloth with the blood of Jesus Christ, housed in a vial, brought to the city by Thierry of Alsace after the 12th century Second Crusade. The cloth itself was collected by St. Joseph of Arimathea himself.

The Basilica features both an upper and a lower chapel.  My visit was only of the upper chapel which feature a Gothic style interior and murals on the wall depicting Thierry of Alsace bringing the relic of the Holy Blood back from the Holy Land.  In 1310, Pope Clement V issued a papal bull granting an indulgence to pilgrims who visited the chapel to venerate the relic.

The relic itself is kept behind a silver tabernacle on a side altar.  What an awe-inspiring moment to pray before a relic of the Blood of Jesus Christ!  Yet, how many of us fail to recall that we truly consume (not just venerate but even truly consume) His Precious Blood – the same Blood! – in Holy Communion.

Also in Bruges is St. Salvator's Cathedral.  Though it has been under major construction in recent years, it is also worth a stop as it is on the way between the basilica and the main train station.  Inside – like the other churches on my pilgrimage – were several beautiful paintings.

After a few hours exploring the city, I ventured via train from Bruges’ central train station on to Brussels, the capital of the European Union and of Belgium.
 
Brussels

My first stop after leaving the station and arriving in the heart of Brussels near their famous central square – which is considered by some as the top square in the world in terms of beauty – is the Church of St. Nicholas.

Inside this quaint church rests the holy relics of 19 Martyrs of Gorcum.  These martyrs were killed by a Protestant gang on September 7, 1572.  Among their number are 10 Franciscans, 2 Norbertines, 1 Dominican, 1 Augustinian, 4 members of the clergy, and 1 layman.  Truly they represent the Universal Church.

Previously in the 18th century across the street from the Church of St. Nicholas was a Franciscan convent that has since been destroyed.  The relics of the Gorcum martyrs were carried from that convent to the Church of St. Nicholas and kept in a gilded, copper shrine created by Franz-Xaver Hellner.  The shrine is a true work of art and a beautiful expression of Faith.

The shrine rests on four lions.  On the front panel is Fr. Francois van Rooy, one of the martyrs.  On the opposite panel is the Virgin Mary with St. Boniface and the Franciscans van Outers.  Along the sides are the 9 martyrs in robes.  And on the roof are six scenes which illustrate scenes from their life including their imprisonment and martyrdom, carrying them by boat towards Brielle, the last questioning of Guillaume de la Marck, their hanging, the carrying of their relics to Brussels, and their canonization.

Also in Brussels is the Cathedral of St. Michael.  Built in a similar but more modest style to Notre Dame in Paris, the Cathedral is home to some beautiful art.  Inside is a truly unique Baroque pulpit by Hendrick Frans Verbruggen and a large organ which contains 4300 pipes, 63 stops, four manuals and one pedal. Spend some time there praying for the people of Belgium to return in greater fervor to the Catholic Faith.

And finally, worth mentioning is that Brussels too is home to the Traditional Mass of All Time.  While I visited only for one day during the week and did not have the opportunity to attend one of the Tridentine Masses in the city, they do exist in several locations.

Conclusion

Most Catholics do not think of the Netherlands and Belgium as immediate travel destinations. Home to many protestant and irreligious ideas, the Faith has been under assault for years in these countries.  But as my travels illustrated, the Faith lives on.  Inside the cities in Belgium and the Netherlands are testaments of a Catholic past and a promise of a future which we can help attain through our work of catechesis and prayer.  Join me in praying a Pater and an Ave for the souls in these nations.  Lord have mercy!

I also spent the next 5 days in Paris and I will share in a separate article the highlights of that adventure.  Also, photos will be posted on my Instagram channel as well.

Note, all images are copyrighted by me and all rights are reserved.

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363 Cardinals and Bishops Who’ve Said the Latin Mass Since Summorum Pontificum

His Excellency, the Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago says the Traditional Mass, the Mass of the Ages
NOTE: THIS IS AN UPDATE TO MY PRIOR POST FROM 2012.

CLARIFICATION: THIS LIST CONTAINS BISHOPS WHO HAVE BEEN PRESENT AT THE TRADITIONAL MASS, PRESIDED AT THE THRONE, ADMINISTERED SACRAMENTS (E.G. CONFIRMATION) IN THE TRADITIONAL RITE, ETC.  IT DOES NOT MEAN EVERYONE OF THESE BISHOPS HAS SAID THE TRADITIONAL MASS.

Since the Motu Proprio, Summorum Pontificum of Pope Benedict XVI was put into effect in 2007 the following Bishops and Cardinals have celebrated the Immemorial Mass of All Ages. The Spanish blog Acción Litúrgica has compiled the following list.  H/T to The Eponymous Flower.

Some past articles of this blog covered the celebration of these Masses.  In those instances, I have linked the item below to the post with news, photos, and/or video of that Mass.

GERMANY: Cardinal Brandmüller (President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Historical Sciences).  Bishop Ackermann  (Bishop of Trier), Bishop Dick (Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Cologne), Bishop Hanke (Bishop of Eichsttät), König (Auxiliary Bishop of Paderborn), Bishop Mixa (Bishop of Augsburg),  Ostermann (Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Münster), Overbeck (Bishop of Essen), Zdarsa (Bishop of Augsburg), and Ziegelbauer (Auxiliary Bishop of Augsburg) .

ARGENTINA: Baseotto  (Bishop Emeritus Military of Argentina), Fenoy (Bishop of San Miguel), Laise (Bishop Emeritus of San Luis) and Sánchez Sorondo (Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences).

AUSTRALIA: Cardinal Pell (Archbishop of Sydney). Archbishops Coleridge (Archbishop of Brisbane), Hart (Archbishop of Melbourne), Hickey (Archbishop of Perth) and Wilson (Archbishop of Adelaide). Bishops Elliot (Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne), Grech (Bishop of Sandhurst, +2010), Jarrett (Bishop of Lismore), Long (Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne), Mathys (Bishop of Armidale), Porteus (Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney), Prowse (Bishop of Sale) and Tomlinson (Bishop of Sandhurst).

AUSTRIA: Cardinal Stickler (Archivist Emeritus of the Vatican, +2007). Bishop Laun (Auxiliary Bishop of Salzburg).

BELGIUM: Archbishop Leonard (Archbishop of Brussels and Primate of Belgium). Bishop Harpigny (Bishop of Tournai).

BENIN: Bishop N'Koue (Bishop of NATITINGOU).

BRAZIL: Archbishops Pena (Archbishop of Niterói, Emeritus in 2011), Rezende Dias (Archbishop of Niterói), Taveira Correa (Archbishop of Belem do Pará) and Tempesta (Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, created cardinal in 2014). Areas raffle Bishops (Bishop Apostolic Administration of St. John Vianney Marían), Bergamin (Bishop of Nova Iguaçu), Canindé Palhano (Bishop of Senhor do Bomfim), Costa Souza (Auxiliary Bishop of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro), Da Silva ( Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Fortaleza), Da Silva Brito (Auxiliary Bishop of Rio de Janeiro) Forge Peace (Bishop of Campos dos Goytacazes), Homem De Castro (Auxiliary Bishop of Rio de Janeiro), Fontes de Matos (Bishop of Palmira dos Indios ) Guimarâes Gomez (Bishop Emeritus of Campos dos Goytacazes) Gouvêa Matosso (Bishop of Nova Friburgo), Marchiori (Bishop of Apucarana), Monteiro Guimarães (Bishop of Garanhuns), Lopes de Faria (Bishop Emeritus of Diamantina, +2009) Paixao (Auxiliary Bishop of Salvador-Bahía), Pestana Filho (Bishop Emeritus of Annapolis, +2011), Romer (Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Rio de Janeiro), Silva Matthes (Bishop Emeritus of Franca), Sivieri (Bishop of Propriá-Sergipe) Soares da Costa (Auxiliary Bishop of Aracaju) Stringhini (Bishop of Franca, now Bishop of Mogi das Cruzes), Ubiratan Lopez (Bishop of Itaguaí).

CANADA: Cardinals Collins (Archbishop of Toronto) and Lacroix (Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada). Archbishops Roussin (Archbishop of Vancouver, Emeritus in 2009), Miller (Archbishop of Vancouver), Prendergast (Archbishop of Ottawa). Bishops Blais (Auxiliary Bishop of Quebec), Daniels (Bishop of Grand Falls), Fabbro (Bishop of London, Ontario), LaRocque (Bishop Emeritus of Alexandria-Cornwall, Ontario),   Lemay (Auxiliary Bishop of Quebec [Now Bishop of Amos]).

CHILE: Cardinal Medina Estévez (Prefect Emeritus of Worship). Archbishop Piñera Carvallo (Archbishop Emeritus of La Serena). Duarte Garcia de Cortazar Bishops (Bishop of Valparaíso), Gleisner Wobbe (Auxiliary Bishop of La Serena), and González Errazuriz (Bishop of San Bernardo).

CHINA: Cardinal Tong Hon (Bishop of Hong Kong), Cardinal Zen (Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong).

COLOMBIA: Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos (em. President of the Ecclesia Dei Commission) Bishops Hurtado López (Bishop of Girardot) and Ramírez Gómez (Bishop Emeritus of Garzón, President of the Ecclesiastical Court).

CROATIA: Bishop Pozaic (Auxiliary Bishop of Zagreb).

DENMARK: Bishop Kozon (Bishop of Copenhagen).

ECUADOR : Bishop Pine Castle (Auxiliary Bishop of Portoviejo).

SLOVAKIA: Bezák Archbishop (Archbishop of Trnava).

SLOVENIA: Cardinal Rode (Prefect for Consecrated Life).

SPAIN: Cardinal Cañizares Llovera (Prefect for Divine Worship), Martínez Sistach (Archbishop of Barcelona), Herranz Casado (President Emeritus of the Council for Legislative Texts), and Navarrete Cortés (Rector Emeritus of the Pontifical Gregorian University, +2010). Archbishops Rodríguez Plaza (Archbishop of Toledo and Primate of Spain), and Ureña Pastor (Archbishop of Zaragoza). Bishops: Arrieta Ochoa de Chinchetru (Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts) Cases Andreu (Bishop of Canarias), Fernández González (Bishop of Córdoba), Iceta Gavicagogeascoa (Bishop of Bilbao), Martínez Camino (Auxiliary Bishop of Madrid and Secretary the Spanish Episcopal) Conference and Yanguas Sanz (Bishop of Cuenca).

UNITED STATES: Cardinals Baum (Major Penitentiary Emeritus), Burke (Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura), DiNardo (Archbishop of Galveston-Houston), Egan (em. Archbishop of New York), Foley (Grand Master of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, + 2011), George (Archbishop of Chicago), Levada (Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Emeritus in 2012), O 'Malley (Archbishop of Boston) and Wuerl (Archbishop of Washington). Archbishops Apuron (Archbishop of Agana), Aquila (Archbishop of Denver), Brown (Titular Archbishop of Aquileia and Papal Nuncio in Ireland), Brunett (Archbishop of Seattle, Emeritus in 2010), Carlson (Archbishop of Saint Louis), Coakley (Archbishop of Oklahoma), Di Noia (Vice President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei), Hugues (Archbishop Emeritus of New Orleans), Kurtz (Archbishop of Louisville), Lucas (Archbishop of Omaha), Myers (Archbishop of Newark), Nienstedt ( Archbishop of Sain Paul and Minneapolis), Pilarczyk (Archbishop Emeritus of Cicinnati), Sartain (Archbishop of Seattle), Vigneron (Archbishop of Detroit) and Wenski (Archbishop of Miami). Bishops Backer (Bishop of Birmingham), Bambera (Bishop of Scranton), Barber (Bishop of Oakland), Barres (Bishop of Allentown) , Bevard (Bishop of Saint Thomas), Blair (Bishop of Toledo, Ohio), B oyea (Bishop Lansing), Bruskewitz (Bishop of Lincoln, now emeritus), Burbidge (Bishop of Raleigh), Caggiano (Bishop of Bridgeport), Callahan (Bishop of LaCrosse), Conley (Auxiliary Bishop of Denver, now Bishop of Lincoln), Conlon ( Bishop of Jolliet) Cordileone (Bishop of Oakland, appointed Archbishop of San Francisco in 2012), Cotta (Auxiliary Bishop of Sacramento), Cummins (Bishop Emeritus of Oakland), D'Arcy (Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend), Dewane (Bishop of Venice), Di Lorenzo (Bishop of Richmond), DiMarzio (Bishop of Brooklynn), Doran (Bishop of Rockford, Emeritus in 2012), Elizondo (Auxiliary Bishop of Seattle), Etienne (Bishop of Cheyenne), Farrell (Bishop Dallas), Finn (Bishop of Kansas City), Foley (Bishop Emeritus of Birmingham), Foys (Bishop of Covington) Gainer (Bishop of Lexington, appointed Bishop of Harrisburg in 2014), García (Bishop of Monterey), Gelineau ( Bishop Emeritus of Providence), Hanchon (Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit), Hermann (Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Louis), Hying (Auxiliary Bishop of Milwaukee), Hurley (Bishop of Grand Rapids), Jugis (Bishop of Charlotte), Keleher (Bishop Emeritus Kansas City), Kicanas (Bishop of Tucson), Libasci (Bishop of Manchester), Loverde (Arlington Bishop), Madera Uribe (Bishop Emeritus of Fresno), Matano (Bishop of Burlington, in 2014 Bishop of Rochester), McFadden ( Bishop of Harrisburg, +2013), McManus (Bishop of Worcester), Morlino (Bishop of Madison), Mulvee (Bishop Emeritus of Providence), Murphy (Bishop of Rockville Centre), Nevares (Auxiliary Bishop of Phoenix), O'Connell ( Bishop of Trenton), Olmsted (Bishop of Phoenix), Paprocki (Bishop of Springfield, Illinois), Parkes (Bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee), Perry (Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago), Provost (Bishop of Lake Charles), Reiss (Auxiliary Bishop Detroit), Rhoades (Bishop of Harrisburg, now Fort Wayne-South Bend), Rice (Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Louis), Ricken (Bishop of Green Bay), Sample (Bishop of Marquette, now Bishop of Portland), Serratelli ( Bishop of Paterson), Silva (Bishop of Honolulu), Slattery (Bishop of Tulsa), Timlin (Bishop Emeritus of Scranton), Tobin (Bishop of Providence), Waltersheid (Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh), and Van Johnston (Bishop of Springfield, Missouri).

PHILIPPINES: Archbishops Argüelles (Archbishop of Lipa), Lagdameo (Archbishop of Jaro), and Palma (Archbishop of Cebu). Escaler Bishops (Bishop Emeritus of Ipil), De Gregorio (Administrator of the Prelature of Batanes) Hobayan (Bishop Emeritus of Cazarman), Tobias (Bishop of Novaliches) and Vergara (Bishop of Pasig).

FRANCE: Cardinal Barbarin (Archbishop of Lyon), Ricard (Archbishop of Bordeaux) and Ving-Trois (Archbishop of Paris and President of the French Episcopal Conference). Archbishops Aubertin (Archbishop of Tours), Bacque (Nuncio in Holland), Carré (Archbishop of Montpellier), Cattenoz (Archbishop of Avignon), D'Ornellas (Archbishop of Rennes), Le Gall (Archbishop of Toulouse), Madec (Archbishop Emeritus Toulon), Maillard (Archbishop of Bourges), Thomazeau (Archbishop of Montpellier, retired in 2011) and Wintzer (Archbishop of Poitiers). Aillet Bishops (Bishop of Bayonne), Aumonier (Bishop of Versailles), Bagnard (Bishop of Belley-Ars), Batut (Auxiliary Bishop of Lyon), Beau (Auxiliary Bishop of Paris), Benoît Gonnin (Bishop of Beavois, Noyon and Senlis), Boivineau (Bishop of Annecy), Bonfils (Bishop Emeritus of Apostolic Administrator of Nice and Ajaccio), Brouwet (Auxiliary Bishop of Nanterre, appointed Bishop of Tarbes-Lourdes in 2012), Castet (Bishop of Luçon), Centene (Bishop Vannes), De Dinechin (Auxiliary Bishop of Paris), De Germay (Bishop of Ajaccio), De Kerimel (Bishop of Grenoble), Delmas (Bishop of Angers), Dubost (Bishop of Evry), Dufour (Bishop of Limoges) Fikart (Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Paris), Fort (Bishop of Orleans), Gaschignard (Bishop of Aire and Dax), Ginoux (Bishop of Montauban), Fréchard (Bishop Emeritus of Auch), Gaidon (Bishop Emeritus of Cahors, +2011) Guillaume (Bishop Emeritus of Saint-Dié), Herbreteau (Bishop of Agen), Kalist (Bishop of Limoges), Kratz (Auxiliary Bishop of Strasbourg), Le Bègue Germiny (Bishop of Blois), Lebrun (Bishop of Saint-Etienne ), Mathieu (Bishop of Saint-Dié), Nahmias (Auxiliary Bishop of Paris, now Bishop of Meaux), Pansard (Bishop of Chartres), King (Bishop of Frejus-Toulon), Riocreux (Bishop of Pontoise), Scherrer (Bishop Laval) and Séguy (Bishop Emeritus of Autun).

GABON: Mvé Engone Archbishop (Archbishop of Libreville). Bishop Madega Lebouankenham (Bishop of Mouila).

EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Bishop Nsué Edjang (Bishop of Ebebiyin).

HAITI: Gayot Archbishop (Archbishop Emeritus of Cap-Haitien, +2010).

HUNGARY: Bishops Farhat (Nuncio to Austria) and Lajos Varga (Auxiliary Bishop of Vác).

ITALY: Cardinal Antonelli (Archbishop of Florence, retired in 2008), Bagnasco (Archbishop of Genoa), Bartolucci (Choirmaster Emeritus of the Sistine Chapel), Caffarra (Archbishop of Bologna), De Paolis (Prefect of Economic Affairs), Piovanelli (Archbishop Emeritus of Florence), Poggi (Librarian Emeritus of the Holy See, +2010), Scola (Archbishop of Venice). Archbishops Accerbi (Prelate of the Order of Malta), Appignanesi (Archbishop Emeritus of Potenza), Bassetti (Archbishop of Perugia, created cardinal in 2014), Berloco (Apostolic Nuncio in Belgium), Betori (Archbishop of Florence), Boccardo (Archbishop of Spoleto-Norcia), Brugnaro (Archbishop of Camerino-San Severino), Crepaldi (Archbishop of Trieste), De Magistris (Major Penitentiary Emeritus), Fisichella (Titular Archbishop of Vicohabentia and President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization ), Molinari (Archbishop of L'Aquila), Negri (Archbishop of Ferrara) and Pozzo (Secretary of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei and Titular Archbishop of Bagnoregio). Bishops Ambrose (Bishop of Piacenza), Cancian (Bishop of Città di Castello), Cerrato (Bishop of Ivrea), Fisichella (President of the Pontifical Academy for Life), Giovanetti (Bishop of Fiesole, retired in 2010), Giusti (Bishop Livorno), Lambiasi (Bishop of Rimini), Miglio (Bishop of Ivrea, now Archbishop of Cagliari), Mistrorigo (Bishop emeritus of Treviso), Oliveri (Bishop of Albenga-Imperia), Rabitti (Bishop of Ferrara), Raspanti (Bishop Acireale), Ravignani (Bishop Emeritus of Trieste), Reali (Bishop of Porto-Santa Rufina), Scanavino (Bishop of Orvieto), Sciacca (Secretary to the Government of the Vatican State, now Deputy Secretary of the Apostolic Signatura), Sigismondi (Bishop Foligno), Tardelli (Bishop of San Miniato), Zenti (Bishop of Verona) and Zuppi (Auxiliary Bishop of Rome).

IRELAND: Martin (Archbishop of Dublin). Bishop Magee (Bishop of Cobh) and Moriarty (Bishop Emeritus of Kildare and Leighlin).

KAZAKHSTAN: Bishop Schneider (Auxiliary Bishop of Astana).

LIECHTENSTEIN: Haas Archbishop (Archbishop of Vaduz).

LITHUANIA: Bishop Bartulis (Bishop of Siauliai).

MEXICO: Cardinal Sandoval Iñiguez (Archbishop Emeritus of Guadalajara). Archbishop Suárez Inda (Archbishop of Morelia). Bishops González González (Auxiliary Bishop of Guadalajara) and Gutiérrez Valencia (Auxiliary Bishop of Guadalajara).

MONACO: Archbishop Barsi (Archbishop of Monaco).

NIGERIA: Cardinal Arinze (Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship). Ochiagha Bishops (Bishop Emeritus of Orlu), and Tochukwu Ukwuoma (Bishop of Orlu).

NEW ZEALAND: Bishop Basil Meeking (Bishop Emeritus of Christchurch).

NETHERLANDS: Bishop Punt (Bishop of Haarlem-Amsterdam), and Van Burgsteden (Bishop Emeritus of Haarlem-Amsterdam).

PARAGUAY: Bishop Livieres (Bishop of Ciudad del Este).

POLAND: Cardinal Dziwisz (Archbishop of Krakow) and Nycz (Archbishop of Warsaw). Archbishops Golebiewski (Archbishop of Wroclaw, Emeritus in 2013), and Zycinski (Archbishop of Lublin, + 2011). Bishops Balcerek (Auxiliary Bishop of Poznań), Cieslik (Auxiliary Bishop of Koszalin-Kolobrzeg), Czaja (Bishop of Opole), Depo (Bishop of Zamosc-Lubaczow, since 2012 Archbishop of Czestochowa ), Dziuba (Bishop of Lowicz) Gorny ( Bishop of Rzeszów, Emeritus in 2013), Malysiak (Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Krakow), Mizinski (Auxiliary Bishop of Lublin), Pieronek (Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Sosnowieck), Rys (Auxiliary Bishop of Krakow), Stobrawa (Auxiliary Bishop of Opole) , Szkodon (Auxiliary Bishop of Krakow) and Watroba (Bishop of Rzeszów) .

PORTUGAL: Faria Bishop (Bishop Emeritus of Funchal).

PUERTO RICO: Bishops Corrada del Rio (Bishop of Mayagüez), and Torres Oliveira (Bishop Emeritus of Ponce, +2012).

UK: Cardinal O'Brien (Edinburgh Archbishop and Primate of Scotland, retired in 2013). Archbishops Conti (Archbishop of Glasgow), Longley (Archbishop of Birmingham), McDonald (Archbishop Emeritus of Southwark) and Stack (Archbishop of Cardiff). Bishops Arnold (Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, London), Brain (Bishop of Salford), Brainey (Bishop of Middlesbrough), Campbell (Bishop of Lancaster), Cunnigham (Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle), Davies (Bishop of Shewsbury), Doyle (Bishop of Northampton), Drainey (Bishop of Middlesbrough), Egan (Bishop of Portsmouth), Gilbert (Bishop of Aberdeen), Hopes (Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, London), Kenney (Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham), McGough (Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham), McMahon (Bishop of Nottingham), Moran (Bishop of Aberdeen), Pargeter (Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Birmingham), Sherrington (Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, London), and Williams (Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool).

CZECH REPUBLIC: Bishop Baxant (Bishop of Litomerice).

RUSSIA: Archbishop Pezzi (Archbishop of the Diocese of Mary Mother of God).

SINGAPORE: Archbishop Goh Seng Chye (Archbishop of Singapore).

SRI LANKA: Cardinal Ranjith (Archbishop of Colombo).

SWITZERLAND: Bishops Farine (Auxiliary Bishop of Lausanne), Genoud (Bishop of Lausanne and Fribourg, +2010), Huonder (Bishop of Chur) and Perisset (Nuncio in Germany).

Bishops of the Society of St. Pius X: Fellay, De Galarreta, Tissier de Mallerais and Williamson.

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Veni Sancte Spiritus (Pentecost Sequence)

  Gregorian chant notation from the Liber Usualis (1961), pp. 880-881. Latin lyrics sung by the Benedictine monks of Santo Domingo de Silos. 

Latin text

English version

Veni, Sancte Spiritus, et emitte caelitus lucis tuae radium. Veni, pater pauperum, veni, dator munerum veni, lumen cordium. Consolator optime, dulcis hospes animae, dulce refrigerium. In labore requies, in aestu temperies in fletu solatium. O lux beatissima, reple cordis intima tuorum fidelium. Sine tuo numine, nihil est in homine, nihil est innoxium. Lava quod est sordidum, riga quod est aridum, sana quod est saucium. Flecte quod est rigidum, fove quod est frigidum, rege quod est devium. Da tuis fidelibus, in te confidentibus, sacrum septenarium. Da virtutis meritum, da salutis exitum, da perenne gaudium,

Come, Holy Spirit, send forth the heavenly radiance of your light. Come, father of the poor, come giver of gifts, come, light of the heart. Greatest comforter, sweet guest of the soul, sweet consolation. In labor, rest, in heat, temperance, in tears, solace. O most blessed light, fill the inmost heart of your faithful. Without your grace, there is nothing in us, nothing that is not harmful. Cleanse that which is unclean, water that which is dry, heal that which is wounded. Bend that which is inflexible, fire that which is chilled, correct what goes astray. Give to your faithful, those who trust in you, the sevenfold gifts. Grant the reward of virtue, grant the deliverence of salvation, grant eternal joy.

Veni Sancte Spiritus, sometimes called the "Golden Sequence," is a sequence prescribed in the Roman Liturgy for the Masses of Pentecost and its octave, exclusive of the following Sunday (Trinity Sunday).  It is usually attributed to either the thirteenth-century Pope Innocent III or to the Archbishop of Canterbury Stephen Langton, although it has been attributed to others as well.

Veni Sancte Spiritus is one of only four medieval Sequences which were preserved in the Missale Romanum published in 1570 following the Council of Trent (1545-63). Before Trent many feasts had their own sequences.

This hymn is not to be confused with Veni Creator Spiritus, which (if said on Pentecost or New Years) remits the temporal punishment of sin (i.e. produces an indulgence)

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Book Review: St. Edmund Campion Missal

I use Grammarly - the best plagiarism checker out there - because a true work of art is truly one-of-a-kind.

Each and everyday countless books are sold in the world and new books are being published for the first time.  With the advent of Lulu.com and other self-publishing platforms, there are thousands of books introduced into the world each year.  For a Catholic trying to navigate the narrow road, he will find many books that are neither beautiful nor spiritually enriching.  And once in a while he will find a book that is either very beautifully designed or one that is truly spiritually enriching and enduring.  It is a gem to find a book that has both characteristics.  I’m glad that I have found such a one in the St. Edmund Campion Missal.

The St. Edmund Campion Missal is more than a standard Missal.  There are plenty of great Missals for the Traditional Latin Mass in the marketplace.  What separates this Missal from other is its sheer beauty. 

The proponents of the Traditional Latin Mass often call it "The Most Beautiful Thing This Side of Heaven."  It's fitting that there is now a Missal that seeks to showcase the beauty of the Mass in the Missal.

Contained in the Missal is over 75 traditional line art illustrations collected from a special Benedictine archive and carefully digitally-enhanced. The pictures were carefully placed according to the liturgical year and feast within the Missal.  [Sample]

Yet most is most striking is the stunningly beautiful step-by-step photos of the Mass.  Where most missals fall short is clearly showing the steps of the Mass.  And if they are shown, they are usually tailored either to the Low Mass or to the Solemn  High Mass.  The St. Edmund Campion Missal does most. Some of these photos are included in the CatechismClass.com Course on the Mass.

As the publisher states: "A distinguishing feature of our book is the inclusion of the complete Ordo Missae for both Solemn and Low Mass, along with 100+ color photographs, made possible by the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, to help the congregation follow the prayers and ceremonies. All vestments used were 200+ years old."

For those concerned with the music included in the Missal, this is a gem indeed.  Again from the publisher: "For the first time since the 1950s, all eighteen Gregorian chant Masses from the Kyriale (Vatican Edition with Solesmes rythmic signs) and all six versions of the Credo have been carefully typeset and printed in a book for the congregation. The scores are presented in a large size, to facilitate congregational singing, and they are printed with amazing precision and clarity."  In addition, the Missal contains 150 elegant, enduring, traditional, Catholic hymns in English for the congregation.

For those who know me, I do not assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at the same location each week.  I am known to alternate between a few locations: two served by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, one by the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, one by the Society of St. Pius X, and a Byzantine Divine Liturgy Parish. 

The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter recently moved into St. Joseph's Church in the area and it was there that I came in contact with the St. Edmund Campion Missal.  In this case, the parish was given by the Diocese to the Fraternity and the congregation was undergoing a great change.  The Missal undoubtedly has helped the remaining members of the parish to familiarize themselves with the Traditional Mass, understand it, and love it. 

Simply put, this Missal is a must-have.  It is a work of art and deserving to be used for decades by its owner. This is a book that will proudly sit on my shelf next to the Sacred Scriptures.

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Lay Eucharistic Ministry Born of Communist Infiltration

Guest Article By David Martin

On June 29, 1972, on the occasion of the ninth anniversary of his coronation, Pope Paul VI declared to the world, "From some fissure the smoke of satan entered into the temple of God."

The pope was referencing the diabolical forces that had infiltrated the Church through the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).

Now a key objective of Vatican II was the empowerment of the laity, in keeping with its theme of "active participation of the faithful." With the Council came the new definition of priesthood as The people of God. It saw whole Church as one hierarchy or priesthood, but in different ranks, with the ordained ministerial priesthood being only one rank of this priesthood. What was proposed was the fallacy that we are all priests of one hierarchy.

"The common priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial priesthood are nonetheless ordered one to another; each in its own proper way shares in the one priesthood of Christ." (Lumen Gentium 10)

It is a well known and documented fact that the agents of Communism began entering our Catholic seminaries as far back as the 30s for the purpose of destroying the Church from within. Over a thousand such agents had infiltrated the seminaries prior to 1940. The testimonies of ex-communists like Bella Dodd and Manning Johnson who had testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee more than confirm that these agents of the sickle and hammer had been building their forces against the Church with the intention of breaking in and indoctrinating the faithful with anti-church principles.

Their plan was to first absorb Catholic philosophy and teaching in the seminaries so as to give them inside access to masterfully communicate and pull the Catholic hierarchy away from their traditional roots, so that they in turn would embrace revolutionary ideas and become pawns of ecclesial subversion. The Leninist "clenched fist" ideal would now be applied in a spiritual way where the "empowerment of the laity" would be a means of overthrowing the Church's monarchical structure, so that a new sense of democracy and religious liberty would take precedence over the established rule of religion issuing from the Seat of Peter.

Hence we have the modern-day role of lay Eucharistic ministers that are supposedly empowered to perform the priestly function of giving Communion. Eucharistic ministers indeed have been empowered, but their empowerment is from the dark forces. What we’re seeing today is Marxism in full swing. The insidious efforts of communists to infiltrate the Church are now manifest through this and other like practices, e.g. women lectors, lay liturgists.

It was a well orchestrated plan to undermine the priesthood so that spiritual revolution would later ensue under the pretext of a "renewal."

Bella Dodd said in the early 50s: "In the 1930s we put eleven-hundred men into the priesthood in order to destroy the Church from within." Twelve years before Vatican II, she said, "Right now they are in the highest places in the Church." She predicted that the changes they would implement would be so drastic that "you will not recognize the Catholic Church."

Dodd explained that of all the world's religions, the Catholic Church was the only one feared by communists. Her work as a communist was to give the Church a complex about its heritage by labeling "the Church of the past as being oppressive, authoritarian, full of prejudices, arrogant in claiming to be the sole possessor of truth, and responsible for the divisions of religious bodies throughout the centuries."

The focal point of attack would be the Holy Eucharist, as we read in the memoirs of communist agent AA 1025, whose briefcase was discovered after being killed in an auto accident in the mid-sixties. "To weaken more the notion of 'Real presence' of Christ, all decorum will have to be set aside. No more costly embroidered vestments, no more music called sacred, especially no more Gregorian Chant, but a music in jazz style, no more sign of the Cross, no more genuflections, but only dignified stern attitudes. Moreover, the faithful will have to break themselves from the habit of kneeling, and this will be absolutely forbidden when receiving Communion.... Very soon, the Host will be laid in the hand in order that all notion of the Sacred be erased."

Again AA 1025 says, "In the Mass, the words 'Real Presence' and 'Transubstantiation' must be deleted. We shall speak of ‘Meal’ and ‘Eucharist’ instead. We shall destroy the Offertory and play down the Consecration and, at the same time, we shall stress the part played by the people. In the Mass, as it is today, the priest turns his back to the people and fills a sacrificial function which is intolerable. He appears to offer his Mass to the great Crucifix hanging over the ornate altar. We shall pull down the Crucifix, substitute a table for the altar, and turn it around so that the priest may assume a presidential function. The priest will speak to the people much more than before. In this manner the Mass will gradually cease to be regarded as an act of adoration to God, and will become a gathering and an act of human brotherhood."

The foregoing coincides with leaked plans of the Masonic P2 Lodge in Italy that were issued just before Vatican II. Consider this excerpt from their 34 guidelines that were made effective March 1962.

"Get women and laity to give Communion, say that this is the Age of the Laity. Start giving Communion in the hand like the Protestants, instead of on the tongue, say that Christ did it this way. Collect some for Satan Masses."

Can we understand now why the Church today has been virtually overthrown by the post-conciliar revolution? Vatican II opened its doors and invited these agents of Satan to sit in on the Council and participate in the drafting of its documents. Or hadn't it occurred to us why the 1964 Vatican II Instruction Inter Oecumenici commanded that the traditional prayer to St. Michael at the end of Mass be "suppressed?" (Article 48) Obviously the old devil didn't want the faithful praying against him.

The same document states: "The main altar should preferably be freestanding, to permit walking around it and celebration facing the people." (Article 91) This coincides with the memoirs of the above mentioned agent who said, "We shall stress the part played by the people" and who complained that "the priest turns his back to the people and fills a sacrificial function which is intolerable."

There is no arguing that the faithful are called to have "active participation" in Christ, but this participation will consist in silent meditation on the Passion and contemplation on the Sacred Mysteries, not in assuming priestly functions or engaging in liturgical busy-body activity. We are called to sanctify our souls and to work out our salvation "with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12), which means we must respect Christ's monarchical authority and not attempt to assume functions which we are not authorized to perform.

If the Catholic hierarchy would simply follow rules and regulations and keep with the Church’s 2000-year tradition of having only consecrated priests administer Communion, their household wouldn’t be in such a shambles today. If heresy and apostasy now abound, it's because the hierarchy has lost confidence in the rule of tradition, fulfilling St. Paul's prophecy: "There shall be a time, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but... will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears." (2 Timothy 4:3)

If priests would dump their modernist inventions and let down their nets the traditional way, they would again bring up a marvelous catch for Christ, but if they continue on their present path of change and "renewal," they will continue laboring all night in the dark as they have since the Council.

If the church today is largely ignorant of the physical and supernatural presence of Christ in his sanctuary, it is because of these socialist lay-empowerment movements through which the Eucharist has been profaned. The Eucharist is the very heart of the Mystical Body around which the entire Church must revolve, therefore the members of Christ are dead members if they will not adore His True Body in the manner commanded by Christ, namely, by receiving on the tongue and from a priest only.

It was not without reason that St. Basil declared Communion in the hand to be "a great fault." St. Thomas Aquinas taught: "Because out of reverence towards this Sacrament, nothing touches it, but what is consecrated; hence the corporal and the chalice are consecrated, and likewise the priest’s hands, for touching this Sacrament." (Summa Theologica)

The Council of Trent reaffirmed the Church's continuous teaching forbidding lay people from administering Communion. "It must be taught, then, that to priests alone has been given power to consecrate and administer to the faithful, the Holy Eucharist. That this has been the unvarying practice of the Church... as having proceeded from Apostolic tradition, is to be religiously retained." - The Catechism of the Council of Trent

St. Paul warns that "whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the Body and of the Blood of the Lord... For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Body of the Lord." (1 Corinthians 11: 27,29)

Hence it would be better never to receive Communion than to go up everyday in cafeteria fashion and receive from people who are not empowered to administer the Body of Christ. Though it has become a widely accepted "common-law" practice today, the use of Eucharistic ministers at Mass is illicit in that it radically breaks with the Church's 2000-year tradition.

The argument that Pope John Paul II sanctioned the use of Eucharistic ministers holds no water, since he was very much against this practice. The following is from his Redemptionis Sacramentum, issued March 25, 2004.

"If there is usually present a sufficient number of sacred ministers [priests] for the distribution of Holy Communion, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion may not be appointed. Indeed, in such circumstances, those who may have already been appointed to this ministry should not exercise it. The practice of those Priests is reprobated who, even though present at the celebration, abstain from distributing Communion and hand this function over to laypersons." (Article 157)

How is it that most Catholic parishes today are embroiled in this lay ministry program in spite of this and other like prohibitions? It's because the tumor of communism continues to spread its cancerous errors throughout the Church. The ugly hand of communism has truly reached in to desecrate the Holy Eucharist.

Let us pray that the pope will finally consecrate Russia to the Blessed Virgin, so that the red tumor can be eradicated and health can be restored to Christ's Mystical Body

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