Help Needed. Turning people off the Tridentine Mass Part 3
My hands are up in the air, criminal style, I could be writing this sequence of posts forever. Some methods that I’ve seen Trads use to discourage others are esoteric and clearly neurotic. If someone wears a combination of red and black they get told off with, “those colours inflame the passions of men, I don’t’ want to see you in those clothes”. Then there's the neurotic nagging, “you broke your fast for Communion by brushing your teeth; the toothpaste may have had calories!” And – then there’s the micro protest of trying to ‘catch people’ going into a church and then trying to prevent them going to a certain Tridentine Mass because of the priest who will offer the Mass.
‘Those priests that say the Mass in there…and the Brompton Oratory priests…' he said, cue much shaking of his head and a sorrowful look in his eyes that made me feel very sorry for him, 'those priests have not been ordained in the Old Rite of Ordination.’
‘OK sir, so I shouldn’t attend the Tridentine Mass of a priest who has not been ordained in the Old Rite?’
‘You should only go to a Mass that’s being offered by a priest who was ordained in the Old Rite.’
‘Sher…grand...’ I said in a guttural Irish accent and giving a nervous smile whispered, ‘maybe you’ll see me at the Oratory. I had better be going. God bless.’
‘No, wait…’ He tried to step in front of me.
‘I’m going to say my Rosary in the Cathedral, and will offer a decade for you. You don’t have anything against the Rosary do you?’
‘Oh no. No.’
I need help understanding this one. And maybe I'm not the only one... 
Yesterday, at 4pm I went to Westminster Cathedral for the 4.30pm Tridentine Mass (this is exceptionally early for me, I am such a late person), a middle aged man walked up to me with lots of leaflets and wanted to prevent me going to Mass. His reason?
‘Those priests that say the Mass in there…and the Brompton Oratory priests…' he said, cue much shaking of his head and a sorrowful look in his eyes that made me feel very sorry for him, 'those priests have not been ordained in the Old Rite of Ordination.’
‘OK sir, so I shouldn’t attend the Tridentine Mass of a priest who has not been ordained in the Old Rite?’
‘You should only go to a Mass that’s being offered by a priest who was ordained in the Old Rite.’
I didn’t have a rebuttal ready; was he basically arguing that Catholics should not attend any Holy Mass, celebrated by a priest who was not ordained in the Old Rite?
‘I know’ he said with a weary sigh, ‘that there are many Traditional Catholics who go to Brompton Oratory. I hope to go down there and talk to them.’‘Sher…grand...’ I said in a guttural Irish accent and giving a nervous smile whispered, ‘maybe you’ll see me at the Oratory. I had better be going. God bless.’
‘No, wait…’ He tried to step in front of me.
‘I’m going to say my Rosary in the Cathedral, and will offer a decade for you. You don’t have anything against the Rosary do you?’
‘Oh no. No.’
‘Sher…grand...’
ReplyDeleteThat's a great Irish expression for such occasions.
And watch out Fr. Finigan, he might decide to wander down to Blackfen! But I have no worries whatsoever - you're more than a match for him and you'll set him right.
ReplyDeleteAgreed there are a lot of Barmy/eccentric types within the Traditional ranks.but these are few compared to the many who wish,or do attend a Tridentine Mass...Here in Norwich UK no chance of this opportunity as no Tridentine Mass is made available at the Cathedral Church of St.John The Baptist
ReplyDeleteAnd there are won't be any at Old Hall Green,Hertfordshire (a beautiful small Arts and Crafts,1911 church & unchanged inside), for the next two Sundays,because in this glorious post-Motu prorio "Summer Of Love", where "The hills are alive with sound of music", no priest can be found to offer the Traditional Mass ! Things are really getting better,aren't they ? Alan Robinson
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable! It is a sad fact that, very often, us Traditionalists are our own worst enemies.
ReplyDeleteOne priest friend has a concept of hell which involves being permanently locked in a room full of Trads!
@ Alan Robinson. Really sorry to hear that it's difficult to find a priest. Just an idea, have you e-mailed the Latin Mass Society? But I think we know that the times they are a'changin'. You mentioned Hertfordshire, a seminarian that I have known for many years Br. Stephen, comes from there and is learning the Latin Mass...and well it'll be a few years... But the Trad Orders are taking off and not dying on their feet like certain others that we could mention...
ReplyDeleteDear Mary,It is the "Auntie Latin Mass Society" who organise these Masses and we have to take what we can get. The Day of Recollection here at our College was another LMS success with thirty people and for the first time in its 26 year history it was not a High Mass. Sadly, there are just not enough priests to say the old rite and those who do seem to want to give their "Parish New Rites" the preference ! All very sad. Thanks.Alan
ReplyDeleteI thought a better Irish expression would have been "Ah to be sher now..."
ReplyDeleteOr I could have put on the Mr O'Reilly from Fawlty Towers pose and said, 'you keep worrying like that, and stone dead you'll be! The Good Lord made the world so we could all enjoy ourselves!' Cue flapping of my arms. 'Now if the Good Lord had meant us to worry, He would have given us things to worry about!'
ReplyDeleteTo which the man may have replied 'if you mention Him once more, I will more you closer to Him...'
You people must have been doing a lot of praying.There will be a Mass in the afternoon on the next two Sundays at the lovely parish church in Old Hall Green,near Ware, Herts.offered by one of the Premonstratensian Canons Regular. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteAlan Robinson
Wonderful news! Deo Gratius! It may not have been my prayers especially, but the moment that I heard that there would be no TridentineLatinMass for the next two Sundays, I asked the Guardian Angels to intercede...
ReplyDeleteAlso, yesterday I attended two private Tridentine Masses, one at 12 noon when we normally invoke St. Gabriel, and I asked him to give the 'right' message to the 'Trad Priest' who would be available to offer Mass in Old Hall Green.
Thank you so much; all we need is an increase in numbers at this long standing weekly Mass, said in one of the most beautiful small churches of the Westminster diocese. Sadly the numbers have gone down in the last few years and there are few new faces and not a single parishioner from the parish.Alan Robinson
ReplyDelete