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In Northwest Illinois at downtown Rockford is St. Mary's Shrine (a magnificent 1880s Church that was thankfully too poor during its now forgotten "New Mass" period to rip out its magnificent altar, altar rail, pulpit, confessionals, statues, stained glass, etc., and is now served by the Tridentine-only Institute of Christ the King. The church has two Tridentine Masses daily except Sunday and holy days of obligation when Father Bovee also says the Tridentine Mass at Aurora, Illinois. The church is thriving with large young families with the kind of well-brought up kids you'd give your eye teeth to see your kids marry and relieved veterans of the tortures of Kumbaya and it is always "Introibo ad altare Dei..." not "Hi, I'm Father Bob and I'll be your presider today." There are folks here who travel several hours each way from interior Wisconsin for Sunday Mass the way it used to be and ought to be.

I would never want to see the Novus Ordo Mass ripped away from those who are wedded to it and comfortable with it as the Tridentine Mass was ripped away from us in the mid-60s but the deforms of the 1960s have obviously failed.

I also cannot imagine why there should be any objection to the praying of rosaries during Mass. The priest says the Mass. I am not the priest. Altar boys are sufficient for giving responses to the prayers of the priest. They do this "on behalf of the people." The praying of the rosary is very much a part of being Catholic and certainly always appropriate in the presence of the Holy Eucharist.

At the risk of confusing non-Catholics, the Mass is more formally known as the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in which the once and for all sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the Cross is made present spiritually upon the altar. If I could be transported back in time to be present at Calvary, I would have no compunctions about saying a rosary or saying it for three hours for that matter.

If anyone lives near Rockford, or is just visiting, come by and enjoy. Communion only on your knees at the intact altar rail unless you are handicapped. Altar boys only. Usable kneelers at every pew. A community of enthusiastic worshippers who actually socialize over coffee and donuts for an hour or two in the Church hall every Sunday after Mass. Old-fashioned screened confessionals. No ambiguity about the Eucharist being the Real Presence of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ either.

Do I understand correctly that St. Mary's is your parish? It must be wonderful to celebrate the Mass in such surroundings. At my parish, we celebrate the Mass according to the Novus Ordo, part in English, part in Latin, completely and reverently. But we sit in chairs, kneel on foam rubber pads, use an improvised Altar, and meet in a nondescript rented room. Even so, for a brief moment Heaven reaches down to Earth, and we join with the Angels and the Saints in praising God. And our drab surroundings are transfigured.

And we continue to raise funds, and our lawyers continue to butt heads with the pig-headed county planning commission morons in Fairfax, and sooner or later we can all gather with our Pastor, and our Bishop, say a prayer, and stick a shovel in the ground.