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A church rises from the ashes: Latin Mass returns to church abandoned by diocese in 1980s
LifeSite News ^ | July 30, 2021 | Stephen Koxx

Posted on 07/30/2021 5:01:45 PM PDT by ebb tide

A church rises from the ashes: Latin Mass returns to church abandoned by diocese in 1980s

Traditional Catholics from across the state, including some from Cheboygan who attended and were married at St. Charles before it closed, responded to the reopening of the church with much celebration.

CHEBOYGAN, Michigan, July 30, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — In the 17th century, French Jesuit priests like Fr. Jacques Marquette arrived in Northern Michigan and converted thousands of Native Americans to the Catholic faith. Today, towns across the region have historical markers and monuments erected in his honor.

Much like the wider Church, a crisis of faith shook the Catholic community in Northern Michigan following the Second Vatican Council. Eventually, the Diocese of Gaylord was forced to close several churches, including St. Charles Borromeo, one of the largest in the area, in the 1980s.

St. Charles, which was built in the early part of the 1900s, was eventually sold to a group of Protestants. Decades of neglect finally caught up with the building. By the mid-2000s, it had become practically unusable due to water damage and structural issues.

Bill Price, a former Marine, saw the church was listed for sale in the 2010s after he and his wife, who grew up in Cheboygan, were visiting the town. Price told LifeSite he was “inspired” to purchase the property because of what it represented to the area.

In 2019, Price purchased the dilapidated church, which can hold upwards of 500 people, for $25,000, eventually taking out a mortgage on it. Since then, he’s been essentially single-handedly restoring it to its former glory. A small group of volunteers have helped install air conditioning and other amenities.

In recent years, Price has done extensive work patching up holes in the roof to prevent further water damage. He’s also built the base of the altar, fixed the windows, and installed donated altar rails.

While financial support has generally been sparse, Price told LifeSite he’s received several donations higher than a thousand dollars, which he immediately put back into the building. There is currently a GoFundMe site to help Price pay for the restoration. (Click here if you would like to help restore St. Charles to its former glory.)

Although there remains much work to be done, including the installation of new floors and bell towers, Price announced the grand re-opening of St. Charles on Sunday, July 11. Traditional Catholics from across the state, including some from Cheboygan who attended and were married at St. Charles before it closed, responded to the announcement with much celebration.

Five choirs from various Latin Mass churches in Michigan, along with approximately 300 laypersons, attended the liturgy, which was offered by a priest of the Society of St. Pius X, who in turn was assisted by several others. It was the first Latin Mass offered at St. Charles in over five decades. Price said he initially approached the Gaylord Diocese about St. Charles but they responded that they weren’t interested.

Fr. William Kimball told LifeSite that the restoration of St. Charles is similar to the restoration to the church as a whole, explaining that the building is still marred by decades of poor treatment and that it has scars from the past, but that it’s still the Bride of Christ and that God will restore it in due time.

College student Erika Grondin, who attends a Latin Mass in Grand Rapids, which is nearly four hours from Cheboygan, drove to St. Charles with her boyfriend Xavier Webster for the Mass. Her father had been baptized at the church as an infant. She told LifeSite she “had to come” to the re-opening because of what it meant to her family, as well as what it means for tradition.

“During COVID, it became clear the mainstream church viewed the sacraments as disposable. I hope more young people will see the sacrality of the Latin Mass and appreciate the effort these priests are making to bring the faith to us during these times.”

Price said he’s excited about the possibility of other priests who want to say the Latin Mass coming to St. Charles. He had special praise for Fr. James Altman, who he said is more than welcome to visit St. Charles any time, as well as all priests who defend the Latin liturgy.

If you would like to help complete the restoration of St. Charles Borromeo, there is currently a GoFundMe page setup. Click here if you would like to help restore St. Charles to its former glory.


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; Theology; Worship
KEYWORDS: dictatorpope; francischism; mercilesspope; tlm
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To: MurphsLaw
That this breakaway SSPX group - who craps all over the guidance of the Holy Spirit, illegitimately denying Apostolic succession of the Church- in the same way it's enemies do... will be eternally and sinfully UN-Forgivable, for anyone.

Lies are never understandable. The SSPX has never denied apostolic succession.

And for you information, Archbishop Lefebve was ordained as a Holy Ghost father in 1929 and elected Superior General of the Holy Ghost Fathers in 1962, so I highly doubt he, or the the many priests he has formed, had or are "crapping" over the Holy Ghost's guidance.

You, Barron and Bergoglio may be getting some supernatural guidance, but it certainly isn't from a holy spirit.

41 posted on 07/31/2021 8:58:58 PM PDT by ebb tide (We have a rogue curia in Rome.)
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To: MurphsLaw

“Cdl. Burke has stated this position as well”

__________

NFN, but there is need to call in the artillary to support your indictment od ebb tide either.

Surely it would not surprise you if, given the warp and woof of the most recent Bergoglian utterance, which if it is to be take seriously at all must at least be considered to have oblitetated once and for all the generous Ratzingerian accommodation known as the Hermeneutic of Continuity, Cardinal Burke himself and others like him are in the process of a change in their cast of mind regarding those who regarded with utter horror the post-conciliar changes to the Roman Rite of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass?

Do you not think it is possible that Cardinal Burke and other prelates like him are in the process of “re-scrutinizing” the goals and apparent underlying motivations of the VII Council Fathers, and that such fresh scrutiny could potentially lead to a broad indictment of same along lines similar to the one issued so long ago by Archbishop LeFebvre and which, in the Archbishop’s mind at least, justified his then-controversial decision to name as SSPX bishops the four priests he deemed necessary to allow the the Mass of the Ages, which he undoubtedly and quite rightly treasured, to survive and thrive after his death?


42 posted on 08/01/2021 5:33:39 AM PDT by one guy in new jersey
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To: Marchmain

Hmm. Okay. May I ask if you diligently attend weekly mass according to the Novus Ordo Missae?


43 posted on 08/01/2021 5:37:45 AM PDT by one guy in new jersey
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To: ebb tide

Sorry, autocorrect is running rampant.

“***no*** need to call in the ***artillery*** to support your indictment ***of***””


44 posted on 08/01/2021 5:40:52 AM PDT by one guy in new jersey
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To: ebb tide

The West was built upon the Tridentine Rite.

The consequences of the Novus Ordo since 1964 in Europe and the USA speak for themselves today


45 posted on 08/01/2021 5:42:28 AM PDT by mo ("If you understand, no explanation is needed; if you don't understand, no explanation is possible)
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To: one guy in new jersey

I stopped attending parish mass when our archbishop gave a dispensation because of covid. Then I discovered EWTN televised mass, and watch that daily. Since dispensation has been now lifted, I went back to mass, which is hard to take due to many peculiarities here. I’m disabled and older and excused from mass when not feeling well. I always at least watch Mass on internet, ewtn or my own parish. Thanks for caring.


46 posted on 08/01/2021 3:19:00 PM PDT by Marchmain (TLM refugee)
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To: ebb tide; MurphsLaw

Pretty harsh, ebb. Let’s not presume to say who may be receiving the guidance of the Holy Spirit.


47 posted on 08/01/2021 3:20:16 PM PDT by Marchmain (TLM refugee)
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To: Marchmain; MurphsLaw
It's not presumption, Marchmain.

When Bergoglio relegates the title of "Vicar of Christ" to the history books:

When he exclaims such dictatorial nonsense as, "I say this, because it's my church"; or he tells young Catholics, "I want you to make a mess out there", or he proclaims his god is a "God of Surprises:

When he grants private audiences to gay couples, lesbian couples or homosexualists, like his fellow Jesuit, James Martin and tells him to carry on, good soldier: anybody with a sensus fidelium can tell that Bergoglio is not under the guidance of the Holy Ghost.

I never presume who is under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, but I can certainly ascertain who isn't, e.g. Bergoglio, Biden, Pelosi, James Martin, et al).

48 posted on 08/01/2021 7:53:09 PM PDT by ebb tide (We have a rogue curia in Rome.)
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