Tuesday, September 28, 2010

When will it happen at my Alma Mater? (An Extraordinary Form Rant...)

Three-plus years now after the promulgation of the motu proprio "Summorum Pontificum," it still amazes me how the now-called "Extraordinary Form" of the Mass has seen such tremendous growth. And who says things don't change quickly in the Church? I mean this not only in the number of Extraordinary Form Masses taking place on any given Sunday in parish churches across the country and world, but also by the greater "normalcy" that is given to its celebration. Gone it seems are the days when the "Tridentine Mass" (as it was called) possessed such a stigma. Just last week I celebrated a Mass in the Extraordinary Form for a group of students here at CUA over at the National Shrine. Such things are relatively normal nowadays.

I remember my own days in seminary (not too long ago now) when - God forbid - the seminary faculty discovered that you were not disgusted by the mere thought of the Mass in Latin! Such was grounds - if not for dismissal - at least for intensive psychotherapy... aimed at purging one of their dangerous, radical, anti-establishment tendencies. How surprising it still is for me - given my own experiences in seminary - to hear word and see pictures of the traditional Mass being celebrated with reverence and devotion in seminaries! Seminary faculty members are now celebrating it in the chapel. Bishops are attending in choir. Seminarians are being encouraged to understand and participate in that form of the Mass! It was hardly more than 15 years ago now that the words of consecration at the seminary Mass were (and sadly, I quote:) "Except for the raisins, This is my Body." Amazing...

And what brought on this rant of mine, you ask? I just came across a post over at the New Liturgical Movement blog about a Mass celebrated in the Extraordinary Form at Notre Dame seminary in New Orleans. The post is HERE.

So: WHEN WILL THIS HAPPEN AT MY ALMA MATER???

4 comments:

Heather Yater said...

When Hell freezes over....

Sarsfield said...

Probably before it happens in your Archdiocesan Cathedral or Proto-Cathedral. Sanity seems to be returning gradually but from the bottom up, that is, from the roots.

Anonymous said...

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Fr. Matthew Hardesty said...

Actually the rector at St. Mary's is learning the Extraordinary Form. But I still anticipate many more years before it is a regular part of the life of the seminary. He has the opinions of many bishops and board members that still matter a great deal.