De templorum nitore:
A church with a battle scene can't be that bad
For the second Sunday in a row, I was at St. Josaphat's in Detroit City for Mass. I know I've written about the place before, but I must say again that I really like it. I know that the interior decor is not for everyone - it's abundantly rich - but I kinda appreciate it and, at least, would take it any day over the stripped, protestant appearance of the parish nearest my parents' home, St. Thomas Aquinas in East Lansing. And one is always finding some new decorative feature on the ceiling, you know, another painting or image; this Sunday, I noticed above the side altar at the right of the nave, high up on the wall, the pontifical coat of arms of Pope Pius XII. Way over opposite, over the left side altar, was the coat of arms of a cardinal, presumably of Detroit, but I didn't investigate further. A painted high up in the left interior of the chancel shows Poles (presumably) fighting on some modern battleground. This is something to appreciate: your average wreckovated, post-modernist, protestantized Catholic church is not likely to have many battle scenes on their walls.But here is the other thing about the indult at St. Josaphat's: they take marvelous care with the ceremonies of the Church. I am thinking of two things: first, well-trained, older altar servers, and always several of them: two servers, a crucifer, an MC, and even a deacon, an older man, very serious looking, with a biretta and fine lace cotta. I would be interested to know who this guy is and how he comes to be in the choir each Sunday at St. Josaphat's. The other thing which impresses me is the choir: many choirs are gone during the summer, but last week and this, they were there, the chant was excellent, and though I don't know whether it would count as "manly" by Fr. Bartolucci's standards, the last true maestro, it sure sounded like it to me. It strikes me that they are doing even the ordinary chants in a particularly sombre fashion, even mournful. This is excellent, I think, and reminds me of how Ambrosius will tell for the first time some young sprite of a Catholic at Cornell, seeking to strike the imagination, about the Carthusians, about their particularly long Matins in the middle of the night and their own special form of chant, more solemn and sorrowful than the rest of the Church's.
While on my way to pray at the altar of Our Lady after Mass, I overheard the MC talking with an inquiring parishioner about, I believe, the possibility of the FSSP entering the archdiocese. And what the MC had to say was hopeful, though not exactly exciting; the archdiocese had said, "not yet." I hope that the time does come soon.
Speaking of liturgical rites, I come to the other thing I wanted to relate. The biographies in the Roman Breviary over the last week or so on two occasions have, among the merits of a particular saint or his especial cares for Church, said that, as in today's of St. Cajetan, nitorem domus Dei promovit. In the biography of St. Igatius of Loyola (July 31), we find the same thing, Templorum nitor [et cetera] ab ipso incrementum accepere. In the biography of St. Alphonsus de Liguori (August 2), though not from the Roman Breviary, we read of the care which he took in decorating the altar of our Lady in a nearby parish while still a young man. Tomorrow, we celebrate the Feast of St. John Marie Vianney, one who was assiduous in finding and spending large amounts of money for the very nicest things for the house of God. On August 5th, we celebrated the dedication of that glorious basilica, resting place of St. Pius V, St. Mary Major's, one of the beautiful basilicas of Rome.
This concatenation of feasts should remind us, I think, that it is no sin to build beautiful houses for the Lord and to procure the very choicest of articles for use at the Holy Sacrifice. We have the example of the saints to encourage us, to encourage pastors today ad templorum nitorem fovendum. By beauty and care in such things we give honor to God and may win souls to Christ, even as in His Transfiguration, He revealed His glorious beauty in order to strengthen the Apostles for the trials to come.
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by Iosephus @ 8/07/2006 10:09:00 AM
16 comments
St. Louis-Marie de Montfort, ora pro nobis
St. Joseph, ora pro nobis
St. Ambrose of Milan, ora pro nobis
St. Dominic, ora pro nobis
St. Francis (and St. Clare), orate pro nobis
St. Catherine of Siena, ora pro nobis
St. Alphonsus Ligouri, ora pro nobis
St. John Chrysostom, ora pro nobis
16 Comments:
"A painted high up in the left interior of the chancel shows Poles (presumably) fighting on some modern battleground."
A St. Josaphat's church with a Polish battle painted on the walls, huh? They have that in Milwaukee, too: in St. Josaphat's Basilica, there is (if I recall correctly) a painting of the Poles fighting the Bolsheviks. The basilica has a quite "conservative" Novus Ordo, and is one of the few (the only?) Novus Ordo parishes in Milwaukee that has never had "altar girls." St. Josaphat must be doing some good intercession on behalf of his parishes.
I forgot to mention this in my post . . . but the priest yesterday, who said he was a professor at a seminary, though I didn't catch which one, because of his heavy Polish accent, and that he had been ordained in Poland at the time of the transition, though educated in the old rite - so I don't know if that means he received a new or an old rite education, actually directed the sermon against the Novus Ordo. I don't know if I've ever heard a sermon, preached either by an indult priest or a priest of the FSSP, against the Novus Ordo.
Now this father yesterday wasn't strident about it, but one point of his homily was this: Christ was transfigured, not transformed. He appeared as glorified; he was not changed in his essence. The new Mass, so said this priest, looks dangerously like a transformation in the spirit of the world which is (he said, not I).
So, methinks, this is pretty high quality stuff. Between the good rotation of priests there, the beautiful church, and the beautiful music, it's a good place to be on Sunday morning in Michigan.
Josephus,
How does this church compare with St Alphonsus in Baltimore where St John Neumann was once pastor?
On another note, have you read the essays by Dr Lauren Pristus on the collects of the Traditional Rite versus the Novus Ordo? Fascinating and very informative reading for those who want to delve into the details of the two liturgies. I highly recommend it.
I'm sorry, but I've never been to St. Alphonsus in Baltimore, though I know many who have, such as Ambrosius and Iacobus. But since they've never seen the Polish glories of St. Josaphat's, I guess they can't be of much help either!
The deacon is the Rev. Mr. Richard Bloomfield, originally appointed by the Archdiocese to help distribute Holy Communion at the Tridentine Mass. Deacon Bloomfield has a great love for the traditional Mass, and has served as Deacon in Solemn High Masses not only at St. Josaphat, but also across the river at St. Michael's in Windsor (www.windsorlatinmass.org) and in Flint.
The celebrant was Fr. Louis Madey, presently a professor at Ss. Cyril & Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake, and long time celebrant of the Tridentine Mass in Jackson and Flint, MI.
As for the attention to detail in the Mass, let's just say that those involved have worked and prayed for the indult for so long, that we consider it a privilege to make the the very best effort we can to honor Our Lord in this liturgy.
I haven't heard the Novus Ordo denounced at an "indult Mass," though did once hear the hierarchy of England and Wales castigated from the pulpit by Fr. Dangerfield at a Sunday (Old Rite) Mass at St James's, Spanish Place in London.
Incidentally, I attended a Pontifical High Mass at Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet last weekend. It was a rather appropriate occasion since two Swedish Lutheran pastors made their abjuration of heresy and were confirmed before Mass; appropriate because I had taken along a Protestant student of mine who wanted to witness a Catholic liturgy. Anyway, in his homily, Mons. Tissier de Mallerais mentioned that one of the ministers had approached the leading Catholic prelate in Sweden a few years ago and was told in no uncertain terms not to convert, since this would be an unecumenical action. Mons. Tissier said that "such are the things that should make the conciliar Church blush, but do not" (in French, obviously, though one of the abjurations was read in nigh-on flawless accented British English).
Another anecdote about the great Fr. Dangerfield, whose sermons would often reduce even the most stiff-upper lipped Brits into tears. One Sunday Mass, on one of those days following a change of hour, Fr. Dangerfield at the end of his sermon had a few words for those who had come to this Mass expecting it to be the Novus Ordo of one hour earlier: "For those of you who expected the 9:30 Mass, a very warm welcome, and I am sure other congregants will assist you in following the timeless ceremony. Just a reminder though: at this Mass, the Most Blessed Sacrament is received only on the tongue, and -as is only fitting for the reception of the Lord and Redeemer of the Universe, Our Blessed Savior Jesus Christ [deft raising of biretta], kneeling." I was there!
A second-hand anecdote is during his time as a convent chaplain in the 1960s when the sisters modified their habits. Fr. Dangerfield, on the first Sunday following the abandoning of the traditional habit of the order preached an uncompromising sermon telling the sisters how their change was breaching every one of the three vows they had professed . . .
These are great stories, PP. Did this confirmation of the Swedish converts get any converage? in French, do you know, somewhere? Not that such a thing is altogether rare, but it's always good to have these stories to share. My own immediate family are yet adherents of the Lutheran heresy.
Alex B, thank you for writing and letting us know about the deacon. And keep up the good work! It is very edifying and an aid to prayer to when everything proceeds so smoothly during the Mass.
Josephe: haven't seen the conversion covered anywhere, as of yet. I thought it was interesting that the two converts wore their Lutheran cassocks. Also, a fact of which I was not aware and which was highlighted by the bishop in his sermon, we do not know whether the Lutheran communion has valid orders. Interesting there has never been an official decision on this.
So does this mean that, if it should come to this, a bishop of the Society would conditionally ordain them to the priesthood?
That rather surprises me. Of course, I've heard this business before about it being unclear whether the Lutherans have orders. But some Lutherans don't even have bishops. And the outrages that this would mean have been perpetuated against the Blessed Sacrament, consecrated by those who don't even believe in the Real Presence, and so treated accordingly, are just too much.
I understand that the Holy See has only made a declaration about the orders of Anglicans, that they're null. And I must confess my ignorance of the arguments of that bull. So I hope someone will correct me - but I had always thought that this kind of situation obtained: if the Anglicans don't have Orders, a fortiori the Lutherans and Presbyterians and Methodists and the like don't have Orders. Not that it says that in the bull, just that the arguments thereof would lead one to think along those lines.
I would have said also: there was never an official declaration about Orders because no one cared, especially the Lutherans themselves, whether they had Orders, though some few did, certainly, and still do; my former Lutheran pastor is one instance. And his case for it seemed rather obscure: something about how the Holy See had recognized something in Germany, maybe awhile ago, maybe longer ago, ergo, voila, Lutherans have Orders. Even if this were true, it would seem precious little to stake one's life as a pastor around - not to mention the complete uncertainty which would surround how one's Orders had come down through the Apostolic Succession.
I recall a fun anecdote from George Weigel's Witness to Hope. The late Holy Father, in his ecumenical zeal, had prayed a public Vespers with some bishops or pastors or something of one of the Scandinavian Lutheran communities. At the reception afterwards, one of the Lutherans approached him and asked whether this praying together meant that he recognized their orders. And he replied, with a twinkle in his eye, whether it meant that they recognized his [Petrine primacy].
Iosephus' last post had two final sentences that were really neat in my opinion.
Wonderful anecdote about JPII!
As I understand it, Pope Leo XIII only made an official declaration on the invalidity of Anglican orders (which, in some quarters, had been expected to go the other way, like Humanae Vitae) because he was persuaded that the bull would precipitate a wave of mass conversions (no pun intended!), which sadly it did not.
The two ex-ministers are, I believe, seeking ordination (or one they know is valid). I am fairly sure that the ordination of a former Lutheran cleric would not use any conditional clauses in the rite unlike, say, baptism (if you are not dead; if you are not baptized...).
Which brings me to two vaguely related anecdotes. During my time at Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet (a year spent prior to entering seminary, 1987-8), I was the server for a baptism of a newly ordained deacon with us for the summer from Econe. He was so nervous that he said: "Ego te baptizo in nomine Patris et Spiritus Sancti," which is, of course, invalid. I whispered in his ear that he had missed out the Son, and he corrected his mistake. That child could have gone through life unbaptized!
Secondly, the marriage rite contains a fiction that still goes uncorrected. When the celebrant declares "Ego conjugo vos...," it is not correct sacramentally: the couple are the ministers of the sacrament, and the priest is acting as witness on behalf of the Church. I wish this long-standing liturgical hyperbole was put right.
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Allow me to try again....
Though I am not an expert on these things, there is an opinion that certain Anglican orders are now doubtfully valid again rather than certainly invalid as the conditions have changed since the previous judgment on their validity.
This is thought to be the case because there has been a widespread introduction of an Old Catholic line into the Anglican "succession", the so called "Dutch Touch".
I like this "Dutch Touch" - but it all seems a little preposterous to me. Besides, this would only make it the case that some Anglican clergy would have valid orders. The "Dutch Touch" wouldn't be any grounds for saying that all Anglican orders are valid. And would anyone ever go through and sort out the lineages? This seems highly unlikely to me.
And what of these old Catholics anyway? Don't these same characters "ordain" women now? I would think that there is no little reason to be skeptical about the validness of their orders.
Right, by "certain" I meant "not all".
But the previous position was that all Anglican orders were invalid.
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