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"Just to clarify a bit, while the chaplin is Fr Ottonello, the Rector of the Oratory is Fr Michael Wiener of nearby Oakland diocese. He is a priest of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest and carries the title of Episcopal Delegate for the Tridentine Rite for the Oakland diocese, which has the full support of Oakland bishop Vigneron for further expansion."

I have been attending Father Wiener's Sunday Tridentine Sung High Mass at St. Margaret Mary's in Oakland for the past 18 months. I really like it a LOT. The people who attend it take their Catholicism very seriously, which is rare in this day and age. I also enjoy hearing Father Wiener preach. The Church needs more priests like him (by the way, he is from Germany, so the "W" in his name is pronounced as a "V").

Confession is also taken very seriously at St. Margaret Mary's. There are two priests there, Father Wiener, and another priest who does 1 English, and 1 Latin Novus Ordo earlier in the day. The two priests switch off hearing confessions before and during each other's Masses. As a result, Confession is just about continuous on Sundays (the Tridentine Mass starts at 12:30). In fact, I went to confession today while Father Wiener was saying Mass (it is not a problem to fully participate in the Mass while standing/kneeling in line for Confession). During the Tridentine Mass, the line for Confession is quite long, which mirrors the experiences others have reported above.

Father Wiener will also be saying the 5:30pm Sunday Mass at the new Oratory in San Jose' (the two other Priests will be 3 Masses during the day before Father Wiener's 5:30). As a result, he is going to have a rather busy Sunday schedule from now on.

All in all, this is very good news for Traditional/Conservative Catholics in both the Oakland and San Jose's Diocese (they are right next to each other). Now, if we could just get the Diocese across the Bay from us, The Diocese of San Francisco, to allow the Tridentine Mass, we would be all set. However, none of us are holding our breath!!

:)

Either way, we will all be walking with Father Wiener in the March For Life demonstration through the City of San Francisco this coming Saturday (1/20). I ask all of your prayers as we carry the Pro-Life message through the heart of the most abortion-friendly city in the USA. Last year, it got a bit hairy as we marched through the belly of the beast, but the police did a very good job. Please pray for us as the 2007 event draws near (and if anyone is near the San Francisco Bay area, feel free to join us!!).