Yesterday afternoon our family got dolled up and drove to Sacred Heart Cathedral in Raleigh for the second schelduled High Masses after the Pope's letter Summorum Pontificum, freeing the Traditional Latin Mass. The crowd was a little sparse due to the conflict with the Super Bowl, but I was relieved that we would not be so smushed in the pews. However, when the priest, Father Betti came to the lectern and stated that he had recently been trained at the FSSP Seminary in Denton, Nebraska and this was his first public Mass, I began to get a little antsy. The bishop extinguished all but two of the candles on the altar and when I turned around at the start of the Processional I realized there were no servers. No responses at the Foot of the Altar, no bells at the Sanctus, or even at the Consecration, and when the time came for the Communion of the Faithful there was no one to hold the paten. (an elderly gentleman who is in the choir at Sacred Heart in Dunn filled in) Mass was transformed from a spiritual high the month before to a confusing 90 minutes of pure silence. No one could hear much of the Mass, and if I didn't know exactly what was supposed to happen when, I would have been in complete agreement that the Novus Ordo Mass was the norm for good reason.
Afterwards I told the priest that if he had said that he needed a server, likely 40+ men and boys would have gladly volunteered. But he said that he trained to offer Mass with no servers. I might have put my foot in it when I told him that we were coming Tuesday to his parish when he will offer the TLM and my son Will would gladly serve. It dawned on me (with a little assistance) that in his 1 1/2 years as an altar boy, Will has only served a few times alone and those times with an experienced and gentle priest.
What have I done to my poor little boy?
Well, we will practice the responses and cues for the bell today and get to the church early so he can decide if he wants to try. He is not yet 10 and hasn't worn a cassock in 6 months. Perhaps I was too hasty in my offer, but if he decides to try and messes up we can offer it up to God just as well as if he did it perfectly. Please pray for Will as well as Father on Tuesday.
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4 comments:
You've brought up an issue that needs to be considered, these FSSP 'crash courses' cannot take the place of older priests who grew up and lived with the Tridentine Mass and know how to make it meaningful even if minimal.
Just learning rubrics and Latin is not all there is to the mass. They should say in with other more experienced priests before trying to go it alone, to let the deeper meaning sink in.
This priest could benefit and learn by having servers, maybe a combination of a young fellow like your boy, and, like at our parish, an 80-year old man who dusted off his Missal.
Just tell your son to do his best, and offer it to God, and let the priest know you're trying to be kind, not overly officious, and I pray it all goes well.
The norms in place in 1962 require a server if one is available. This is just a little strange. The priest should know that he is supposed to have a server if he were trained by the FSSP.
Tell us how it went at Saint Bernadette?
Have you seen the Cure D'Ars Prayer Group web site?
www.cureprayergroup.org
Let us pray for our priests!
I think FSSP assumes that a priest who is saying the TLM for the first time doesn't have access to experienced servers and don't have the experience to train them right away.
Will is going to hopefully walk through the Mass with Father sometime this week so next Tuesday he can serve.
I was encouraged, there was standing room only (perhaps 25?) in the tiny chapel.
I think Father did a good job and his speed was somewhat improved: down to 60 minutes with no homily.
Most of the people attending had no obvious clue as to what was going on, no missals, butchering the responses, no idea as to when to stand or kneel. But all this will smooth itself out.
I am so grateful yet again for our time at St. Benedict's in Virginia where I learned the intricacies and reasoning for the posturing and prayers. I wish everyone could have that experience.
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