WELCOME to Saint Francis de Sales Oratory, in Saint Louis, Missouri, these priests of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest:
Reverend Father Michael Wiener, Esq., as Rector, and
Reverend Father Laurent Jantaud, as Vicar.
Late of the Oratory, Fr. Karl Lenhardt is assigned to the Institute's seminary in Gricigliano, Italy as Spiritual Director for the seminarians and for the Sisters Adorers of the Royal Heart; and Fr. Avis will be Rector of Old St. Patrick's Oratory in Kansas City. They will be missed.
More information at Saint Louis Catholic.
Mark, I may have said this before but I am old enough to remember being an alter boy in Latin. My brother who is just 18 months younger than I, learned only in English. I am pleased to see the return of the Latin Mass, and believe that it will bring about a renewal of the faith for many Catholics. I do have one thought though that I want you to consider....If we have both forms and parishes that only celebrate one or the other do we not run the risk of being even more guilty of being cafeteria Catholics and picking parishes that may not actually be serving our neighborhoods????
ReplyDelete"Cafeteria Catholicism" refers to "picking and choosing" particular doctrines of faith over another. Separate forms of the liturgical rites have existed for ages, and all existing forms are deemed valid and equivalent as so far as conferring grace.
ReplyDeleteWhether or not a particular parish serves a neighborhood in a certain way is another matter. Urban parishes, especially, tend to be so small that they specialize, and can't be considered full-service. But there are many parishes: some may have a school, another may have a St. Vincent de Paul Society, the other a Knights of Columbus. Nothing ought to stop parishioners from one parish helping out those of another.
Mark,
ReplyDeleteI didn't see clear info at the Institute's web site. Do we know which priest will be ministering to the Log Church in Cahokia?
Thanks,
Peggy, it will be one of the priests at de Sales--Fr. Wiener or Fr. Jantaud. If they work it as they did before, it will be the latter.
ReplyDeleteMark since you were not raised Catholic I realize that you may not understand the very common feeling that you were supposed to only go to the parish of your "community" and not be picking and choosing or Cafeteria Catholicism which church to attend based on whether you liked the priest, music or liturgical rites.....as I said I support the use of the Latin Rite but I can see the possibility that people will be picking and choosing!!!!
ReplyDeleteWe have convent in my community which allows its chapel to used as parish church by some high brow catholics who think they are too good to attend their parish church!!
From what I have read, the territorial parish system was once quite strict and regulated by canon law. I would guess that it was the technology of inexpensive transportation which encouraged the Council Fathers to relax the rules. I'm sure that this was an innovation that was universally accepted, with only a few seeing the long-term consequences.
ReplyDeleteI can see the advantage of having strict territories, for it promotes unity in a community (as you implied) and allows for better pastoral planning, and generally I am in favor of it. An obedient Catholic ought to fulfill his Sunday Obligation at whatever church is available, even if he finds it annoying. But the history I've read shows that pastors of parishes were very often removed due to the complaints of the parishioners. Under the new system, un-pastoral pastors may actually get to keep their parishes, due to this parish-shopping.
But the concept of personal parishes is not new, and in Saint Louis was used even in the 19th century for ethnic communities as well as for the various rites. Nowadays in this Archdiocese, personal parishes still tend to be mainly ethnic, although several are based on rite, and we also have social justice and charitable parishes and those based on charisms of particular religious orders.
I would agree that the Traditional Latin Mass is highbrow, although I would disagree that most of the Catholics who attend the same are highbrow: far too many are miserable sinners seeking solace (including myself), and many others are trying to raise Godly children in a caustic world. I would argue that high art - that is, art seen as a virtue and giving the best for God - is entirely fitting for the liturgy. Low art, that is, the unschooled art of the people, is best suited for the popular devotions; sadly, these devotions have been mainly lost in the U.S.