this morning, without an article ready to publish, i was overwhelmed with discouragement at having to present yet another post containing an Apostate pope in a funny hat or a freemason prelate expelling a faithful priest or any similarly dismal theme.
Lo and behold, this sweet testimony, full of hope and gratitude, arrived in my inbox. It originated here.
NOTES in square brackets [ ] added by yours truly.
Cara Veronica,
On June 19, 2024, a sad day to remember, the last Latin Mass was celebrated in St. Patrick’s Cathedral (Melbourne). More than 850 faithful were present.
On Wednesdays of every week of the year, an ancient mass was celebrated in that church, attended by hundreds of young people.
The document to suppress it was sent by the Vatican and signed by Archbishop Vittorio Francesco Viola. In it they apologized, saying that since there is an anti-traditional climate in Rome, it is not appropriate for the Cathedral to continue with the usual Mass. Words that really make no sense…
Now, that one has been suppressed, only two parishes remain that celebrate the traditional mass. Among these is mine, which has the authorization for another 2 years. Then we will have to ask for permission again, which we fear will not be granted. Let us pray intensely that the Lord will come to free us soon, Veronica! It was too much pain for us! What a disappointment! What an outrage!
We are all infinitely sorry, also because that Holy Mass was attended by many young people: students, seminarians and young workers. For them it was the only ancient, midweek Mass they could attend.
Already in 2021, after receiving the first order from Rome, the archbishop had forbidden all parishes to celebrate in Latin. Then we do not know what happened: suddenly he gave permission to the Cathedral to celebrate it and on Wednesdays it was very popular. At least 500 [NOTE: a slight exaggeration – by a factor of 10] faithful attended each time. Its suppression was a real scandal! Let us entrust ourselves to the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, Veronica, and pray that Her Immaculate Heart will soon triumph.
In my parish, as I was saying, one of the two still authorized to celebrate the ancient rite of the Saturday mass,* by Grace, the Sunday mass is reformed, but in Latin** and is solemn. [NOTE: Most Masses in this parish are Novus Ordo, offered ad Orientem; there is a weekly TLM as permitted by the local Ordinary.] Between incense, blessings and Gregorian chants, many are the young people and large families, with many children, who attend it, even coming from very far away. There are those who travel hundreds of kilometers by car to be there, on holidays.
The solemn Mass lasts about an hour and a half. Many women, like me, wear the veil and 90% of the faithful and more, receive Communion on the tongue.
Our parish priest is an exemplary priest. Very young, but with a traditionalist background.
Upon his arrival, a new air was breathed. Softer, more sacred. He made a radical counter-revolution, abolishing all modernist customs and practices and restoring a certain material and spiritual discipline.
First he removed the altar girls and placed the Tabernacle back in the center, from a lateral position where it had previously been placed. He removed an ugly table, placed in place of the Altar, installing another, worthy of the name. He put back the kneelers to receive Holy Communion on the tongue and began to use the plate under the chin again, during His distribution. With him the sign of peace immediately became a distant memory and he began to distribute Holy Communion personally, completely excluding extraordinary ministers.
Needless to say, the priest wears a cassock and I noticed that the toes of his shoes are bent upwards, so much time is spent kneeling. God bless him and confirm. He has already bought the balustrades [altar rails] that will be installed soon.
During the lockdown he never abandoned or neglected the faithful. He heard confessions for more than 3 hours on Saturdays, when other churches were closed. He even installed an automatic dispenser for holy water, instead of taking it away. So great is his zeal, that he always found a solution for every problem that arose.
The Church in Australia has changed in recent years, but it has not reached the negative extremes of Italy: for example, no priest has ever thought of refusing Communion to the faithful, because they want to receive it on the tongue and kneeling . [NOTE: this does, in fact, sometimes happen in Australia, unfortunately.] The Our Father has not changed either and normally everyone kneels during the Consecration.
We know well that in particular everything depends on the priest and in general we notice a certain awakening among them.
The young consecrated people are very devoted and lovers of the two-thousand-year-old tradition of the Catholic Church.
Let’s hope so, Veronica.
A big hug to you. Thank you
Silvia, da Melbourne (Australia)
While there are some who say that the reverent Novus Ordo is “part of the problem”, I say, along with St. Pio of Pietrelcina, that in times like these, we must take the good wherever we find it. Thank God for this woman and for her blessed little parish which is evidence that God never abandons His Church.
Ecclesiastical Freemasonry 