Posted on 06/02/2005 11:17:53 AM PDT by Pyro7480
On 21 May 2005, I attended the bacculareate Mass at Villanova University in southeastern Pennsylvania. My sister was graduating from this school, which was founded by Augustinian priests in the mid-19th century.
The Mass took place in the early evening at the university's stadium, and other than a brief shower, the liturgy started well. A choir sang Palestrina's Tu es Petrus prior to the beginning of the Mass. I was delighted to hear that particular piece of music. However, I should have a heeded a warning of sorts that was right in front of my eyes. There was a table close to the stage were the Mass was going to be offered, and sitting on top of the table were glass chalices, which obviously were going to be used during the Mass.
The atmosphere of the Mass shifted quickly as the processional hymn began. The line-up of the ministers began in a normal fashion. At the very beginning of the procession was a graduate in academic garb carrying a censor. However, not far behind were other graduates carrying multi-colored banners. They were the oddest things I had ever seen processed in during a Mass. It wasn't clear at all what their point was. The colors used weren't Villanova's colors. In fact, they used bright pastel colors. But they didn't have much to do with the Mass itself, so it was a forgiveable error.
The banners, however, was just the beginning of events that could be described as the results of lapses in judgement. The music during the Mass itself belonged to typical post-1970's composing, so that wasn't exactly unexpected either. But when the time for the offertory came, my heart began to sink. The hosts that were to be consecrated were brought in to the stage where the altar was in large wicker baskets. It wasn't immediately clear at that point but inside the larger wicker baskets were smaller wicker baskets, lined with white cloths of some sort, which actually contained the hosts. The wine that was going to be consecrated were brought in large glass/crystal containers.
Both the hosts and the wine were left in their containers during the entire Eucharistic prayer. When time came for communion, baskets containing consecrated hosts were brought to each side of the field. The smaller wicker baskets containing the hosts were taken out of the larger baskets, and most of the distribution of the Blessed Sacrament was taken care of by lay people, most of whom were college students.
When one of them came with the basket, the rest of my family went for Communion, but I decided not to go. I prefer to receive Our Lord's Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, from the hands of a priest or deacon. Anyway, at that point, I was feeling rather offended by the manner Communion was being distributed. They were treating Our Lord as if He were an appetizer that was being served at a restaurant. When my dad sat back down next to me after receiving Communion, I told him what was wrong about what was taking place.
As the distribution was winding-down, I noticed that some of the students who were distributing Communion were committing more abuses. I saw one of them self-communicate. Some of them stacked the baskets on top of each other, and it was probably the case that on top of the clothes, there still rested small fragments of the consecrated hosts.
After the Mass concluded, my family went to a nice Italian restaurant nearby. I brought up the issue of the Mass. My mom seemed to understand why I was feeling offended. My sister on the other hand, said in response to my complaint (in a rather sarcastic manner), "I'm sorry my liturgy offended you." She couldn't understand why it was wrong to serve the Blessed Sacrament in that manner.
My final thought on this issue: If it is possible for papal Masses to accomodate hundreds of thousands of people during Communion, and do it properly, then an American institute of higher learning which has Catholic roots can afford to do take the proper steps to accomodate a few thousand during a bacculareate Mass.
Some thought the same about TA's understanding of human conception. Alas, he turned out to be wrong.
Aquinas would no doubt disapprove of "Communion Services in the absence of a priest or deacon," but they are a reality and a necessity in today's Church.
As to your question re: "Novus Ordo Latin" Mass vs. "Old Rite/Tridentine Rite Latin" Mass:
The "Old Rite" or, properly, Tridentine Rite Mass was suppressed by Pope Paul VI in 1965 when he introduced the "Novus Ordo." The N.O. is officially in Latin, but over time, all of it has been translated to the vernacular--English, German, French, etc. However, it can be said in Latin--and some people refer to this as the "Latin Mass."
The "Old Rite"/Tridentine Rite was established in 15XX after Luther's revolution. It MUST be said in Latin--in fact, outside of the homily and the reading of the Epistle and Gospel in the vernacular (which was done from the pulpit immediately before the homily) NO vernacular was allowed--not hymns, nada. Zero. Zip.
After a good deal of prayer, sacrifice, and stationery had been consumed, John Paul II officially allowed the Tridentine Rite to be used again in the Church (for other than private Masses.) More blood and ink has been spilled on the topic of "Old vs. New" on these forums (and a zillion OTHER forums) than for almost any other event in the history of the Church with the exception of Luther's revolution (and its daughter, the French Revolution, with all the concomitant philosophical and theological distortions, heresies, apostasies, etc., etc,.)
That's a VERY short and not-perfectly-precise rundown.
No. Pius XII officially allowed orchestral instruments in his December, 1955 (?) encyclical on the topic.
Prior to his authorization, of course, the instruments were used, by Bishops who were frankly disobedient. (This goes to show that disobedience-by-Bishop is not exactly new.)
If you're close to LA, go hear Paul Salamunovich's church choir and organ. He's at North Hollywood...
The particular citation was well within TA's area of competence--unlike embryonic biology, still a developing science.
TA would most likely approve of communion services in cases of necessity--like all men of the Church of Common Sense (that's the one we call Roman Catholic) TA never would allow the lesser to overcome the greater.
But "necessity" is rather elastic for priests who think they have a Job, not a Vocation.
"Aquinas would no doubt disapprove of "Communion Services in the absence of a priest or deacon," but they are a reality and a necessity in today's Church."
Nonsense. We could just not do it.
Yeah Villanova is pretty bad. I'm going to be a Senior next year there and my experiences with masses on campus have been quite horrible. I was not there for the mass on Saturday, but I was there for Graduation on Sunday.
What you saw on Saturday is basically how masses are celebrated at Villanova. The only differences is that I don't believe they use the wicker baskets during normal Sunday masses, but rather use glass plates.
I know pretty much all of the people who run campus ministry and all of them are either VERY liberal or borderline apostate-heretics. That isn't likely going to change. The Augustinians at Villanova are pretty much the same. All the priests at Villanova are very liberal and/or hold heterodox beliefs. Luckily though most of the priests are very old and the order seems to be gradually dying out as there are next to no vocations. I think they had 3 new priests for the entire Eastern United States last year, and that was considered a good year. I believe there are currently only 4 people who are even officially discerning whether they want to join the Augustinians.
Personally I stay as far away as possible from Villanova University masses. Masses said at Villanova are like a nightmarish version of mass circa-1969 thats gone awry. The sermons are heterodox, the music is corny, and those god-awful banners are attrocious. So I make it a point to attend mass off campus, at either Eastern Rite Churches or Latin Masses in the area.
We could. But the bishops have decided that making the Eucharist available to the faithful is paramount.
It's bookmarked, now, thanks MurphE!
You rock! Thank you!!!
Yes, I'm in LA. I followed murphE's links from an earlier post and made my way to a Una Voce Los Angeles chapter. They listed when and where the Latin Masses are in the LA area. Does Salamunvich's parish have a Tridentine Mass?
Can you recommend where I might purchase a good missal of the Tridentine Mass with a translation in English?
They're taking it to a whole other level.
Please cite the document where Paul VI officially suppressed the Traditional Mass.
See 110!
The next "whole other level" from here will be communion hosts in "ranch" or "sour cream and cheddar" flavors.
With a sip of SoBe Grape Revival, of course.
It was not established it was codified. The essentials of the Traditional Mass date back to the time of the apostles.
I found three of mine on eBay.
In addition, I ordered a new printing of The New Roman Missal from Fr. LaSance (Christian Book Club of America, PO Box 900566 Palmdale, CA 93590)...but doggone if I can remember where on the net I purchased it!
(Google might help).
The 1962 Roman Missal (Latin-English) is also an excellent version, and the one most TLM Indult masses go by.
Una Voce Orange County has or at least had a very active chapter. I think the indult crowd moved from St. Mary's by the Sea in Huntington Beach to the remaining indult at San Juan Capistrano or Our Lady Help of Christians.
Angelus Press and the FSSP website have new Traditional missals for sale. They both are supposed to be good (I haven't seen either). Fr. Lasance's missal and the St. Andrew's missal are commonly used older missals. AP, FSSP and probably TAN books and Catholic Treasures all sell missals.
The essentials of the Novus Ordo also date back to the time of the apostles.
The Tridentine Mass was the official liturgy of the Roman Rite, also known as the Latin Rite. The Novus Ordo is the second of the two liturgies celebrated within the Roman Rite.
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