BEYOND THE TRAPPINGS: A profile of Traditionalist Catholics in Los Angeles

Los Angeles Times (free registration required) ^ | February 15, 2004 | Eryn Brown

[Deo volente]

It's hard to be an absolutist in the modern world—our society simply isn't set up for it. Boundless, diverse and brimming with energy, it's better at fostering a culture where anything goes than one obsessed with strict definitions of right and wrong. It's better at building a spiritual world where people customize their beliefs rather than demanding they adhere to rigid dogma. There is no black and white anymore. Most of us prefer our world in muddier-but-subtler, ever-evolving shades of gray.

So there's a certain otherworldly feeling you get when you walk into a tiny, plain church in the Santa Clarita Valley and sit down with a man of the cloth who's certain that certainty does exist. He's friendly and calm, and he explains his take on the world in a patient, soothing way—even as his words are unforgiving. "Just because we're in different times," he says, "it doesn't mean that right and wrong—true and false—change. Today nothing is sacred. Everything is open to reinterpretation. But if something is handed down by Christ, it shouldn't change."

You might assume your host is a Protestant fundamentalist, cousin to those evangelicals who preach salvation on the cable channels that pop up between MTV and HBO. If you took out the reference to Christ, he could even be an orthodox rabbi, admonishing his followers to keep the Sabbath and to follow the many commandments of the Torah to the letter.

But this particular man of faith is Father Dominic Radecki, a youthful-looking, 46-year-old Catholic priest who wears a standard-issue clerical collar and black suit, who sits rather informally on a plastic chair he's pulled up just a couple of feet away from yours, and who will later display an album stuffed with photos of the seminary he attended, as well as several of his scuba badges. It's an odd combination of old and new, rigidity and informality. And it's especially curious coming from a person you associate with Roman Catholicism—a religion that for the past 40 years has attempted to modernize, if not quickly enough for many of its devotees.

[Deo volente]

A lengthy and in-depth look at traditionalists in Los Angeles, mainly of the SSPX variety. The author takes an even-handed approach to the subject. Definitely not a hit piece, IMO. The article shows traditional Catholics to be pretty normal people! A surprise from the usually liberal L.A. Times.

[Deo volente]

A look at a SSPX chapel in Los Angeles on a typical Sunday:

It's a typical Sunday morning at Our Lady of the Angels Church in Arcadia. Mass is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., but by 9:45 the church's parking lot is already full, and parishioners have stationed their cars down Temple City Boulevard and onto the adjacent residential streets. The men dress in coats and ties, the women in modest skirts. Those women who haven't brought a hat or scarf take a small lacy veil from a rack just outside the sanctuary door and place it atop their heads. Even the youngest girls wear head coverings—little pink knit hats, little pink muslin kerchiefs.

There are lots of small kids at Our Lady of the Angels, which reflects the strict traditionalist ban against birth control. (During a recent service, the priest told his flock that a large family might cause financial pressure, but "faith will provide.") Some families show up with four or five children in tow. The kids sit quietly through the 90-minute service, only fidgeting occasionally. It's a remarkable sight. Church and synagogue can be hard to sit through under any circumstances, for adults as well as for youngsters. But Our Lady of the Angels does regular boring church one better.

Following the old Tridentine rites, Father Charles Ward performs the service entirely in Latin—except for the biblical readings and his sermon, which is lengthy and didactic, focuses intensely on Scripture and offers advice and guidance for good Catholic parents. The line for Communion is long. The choir sings for some time, too. And yet, throughout, the children sit quietly and behave, every hair in place.

[CARepubGal]

Nice story.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

except for the biblical readings and his sermon, which is lengthy and didactic, focuses intensely on Scripture

and theeeerre ya go! ;-)

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

We'll see stories like this more and more, IMO. The world has become so crass, materialistic and violent that it is inevitable the pendulum swings back in the opposite direction.

Stories like this have shock value because crude, rude and a life without rules is now the norm.

[drstevej]

Cool. Might cause some reformation!

[CARepubGal]

I think the trend is promising and welcome. :-)

[Deo volente]

I thought you might like this story. Maybe you could ping your Catholic friends.

I wonder if Cardinal Mahony reads the L.A. Times!

[ultima ratio]

And the kids are happy. They follow the Mass with children's missals. Even the toddlers are given pious picture books to look at. Afterwards, we go downstairs for refreshments. Some of the kids scoot around playing tag. The ones who served as altar boys are now able to relax. In the traditional Mass these acolytes have real liturgical duties to perform, busily interacting with the priest--just as their counterparts did a thousand years ago.

[Maximilian]

Thanks for this nice article. I actually registered at LA Times to read the rest of the article.

(During a recent service, the priest told his flock that a large family might cause financial pressure, but "faith will provide.") Some families show up with four or five children in tow.

Four or five might be considered "large" in Los Angeles, but that would be considered a small family in our parish. Even Mel Gibson had at least 7 last I heard. Maybe the reporter thought his readers wouldn't believe him if he said "Some families show up with 10 or 12 children in tow."

[Maximilian]

The kids sit quietly through the 90-minute service, only fidgeting occasionally. It's a remarkable sight. Church and synagogue can be hard to sit through under any circumstances, for adults as well as for youngsters. But Our Lady of the Angels does regular boring church one better.

This is true, and it was very perceptive of the reporter to notice it. The children at the Latin Mass are much better behaved than at the New Mass, even though it takes longer and the service is in Latin. Even my own children have improved considerably since we began attending the Latin Mass. The reporter can't figure out the reason because it's not immediately evident -- the supernatural reality of the traditional Catholic Mass. Children realize that they are in the presence of God, not just attending a boring man-made ceremony.

[Maximilian]

A nice and balanced article which presents the SSPX in a less than hysterical light but also gives the point of view of the spokesman for Roger Cardinal Mahoney. It's worth registering with the LA Times to read the whole article:

http://www.latimes.com/features/printedition/magazine/la-tm-catholics07feb15,1,6900000,print.story?coll=la-home-magazine

[1stFreedom]

Why? Nobody speaks latin any more.

I have a hard time when masses are part english, part latin.

Masses weren't always said in latin. They were said in common tounge (Greek?) before latin was "standardized"

You think church attendance is low now, go ahead and revert back to latin. At least English gives the pew warmers a chance at hearing the Gospel.

[Ronaldus Magnus]

They are a fractious bunch—these are, after all, folks who have taken the radical step of breaking away from Rome

They sound like any other protestant church.

[ninenot]

We've seen a few stories in the local liberal house-rag (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) in the last year or so which are NOT in the typical liberal mold.

Mostly written by younger, GenX writers who have a genuine interest in and respect for conservatism.

(Hasn't reached the 'religion' desk yet..but who knows?)

[ninenot]

Reformation=SHORTER SERMONS

Note that the current Pope's allocutions are typically 10 minutes or less. A word to the wise in search of election....

[ultima ratio]

Latin has been used for two thousand years without a problem. If you can't take the trouble to figure out what's going on, then your problem is not with the Mass but with yourself. And what makes you think the Gospel isn't read in English?

[autopsy]

Nice article. Interesting how the non-Catholic writer seems so unbiased...very refreshing these days.

[ultima ratio]

The SSPX never broke with Rome. Rome broke with Sacred Tradition and when the Society wouldn't play along, it unjustly demonized them.

[jscd3]

Why? Nobody speaks latin any more.

Yeah, unlike when my dad was a kid in the Bronx; all those working class Irish and Italian kids used to speak nothing but Latin...

I have a hard time when masses are part english, part latin.

I have a similiar problem: I find it hard when masses are part Catholic, part New Age crap

Masses weren't always said in latin.

Yeah, just a thousand years or so - just a fad...

You think church attendance is low now, go ahead and revert back to latin. At least English gives the pew warmers a chance at hearing the Gospel.

Church attendence was far higher prior to Vatican II mass changes. I'm not saying that this proves that the mass was the reason, but there sure isn't any evidence that the Novis Ordum increased attendence.