To all interested parties,
If you are interested in serving the Latin Mass, either with an associated parish, or my associated monthly server group that meets currently at St. Lawrence the Martyr, feel free to e-mail me at:
torontotlmservers@gmail.com
I can then either introduce you to our group, or I can direct you to another parish/organization in the city for you to train in Latin Mass serving. While there is information for those parishes and groups on another of my pages, there might be a couple of questions you need answering or you are looking for a specific fit for your Latin Mass serving that I may be able to help you with.
Pax, Julian.
Where can a young boy these days go in Toronto to learn how to serve as an altarsevrver at the TLM? It seems the only options are the two Oratory parishes. Or are there other regular opportunities?
ReplyDeleteHello Aloysius. I have seen you roaming around the Catholic blog-o-sphere in comment boxes, so, it's good to see you finally found your way over here. Welcome!
DeleteTo answer your question, there are two main Latin Mass parishes in Toronto, one of which you have correctly identified as the Oratorians of St Phillip Neri's Holy Family and St. Vincent de Paul Parishes (I count them as one parish as they both are linked).
The second parish with regular Latin Mass offerings is St. Lawrence the Martyr in Scarborough, under the guidance of Fr. Steven Szakaczki, the priest who was assigned to Latin Mass matters in Toronto, after the departure of the FSSP in 2010.
With the Oratorians, I would say it is the most well balanced parish that will expose a young trainee server to all common levels of the Latin Mass (Low, High, and Solemn). With Fr. Steven at St. Lawrence the Martyr, unfortunately, the main form of the Mass that is done there is the Latin Low Mass. However, Fr. Steven does assist other Latin Mass organizations in the Archdiocese and his servers frequently join him in serving these masses for their High/Solemn Latin Mass experience. Having been around Fr. Steven, I can highly recommend him as the "real deal" of a priest, who does all forms of the Roman Rite, does not succumb to that which is the pitfall of the "Radical Catholic Reactionary" mentality (coined by Catholic apologist Dave Armstrong), and being a Holy Alter Christi, THE RIGHT WAY!
A third option I mention, though the frequency of Latin Masses is less, and is farther east than Scarborough, is St. Issac Jogues Parish in Pickering, ON, where they have a Missa Cantata once a month on the 1st Saturday at 11am. This Mass is usually done by Fr. Paul Dobson of the parish, who has assisted in Latin Masses throughout the years in the Archdiocese of Toronto.
There are also some lay organizations who organize Latin Masses within the Archdiocese of Toronto that also provide opportunities for serving the Latin Mass via bi-monthly to quarterly offerings in various parishes. I assist in serving these organized Masses with St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir, whose contact information can be found on the page for my "Sources of Info .... Listings" tab at the top of my blog pages.
The parishes and the organizations that I list here, are those I have assessed, in my experience of 4 years of delving into the Latin Mass, whom are in accordance with my blog goals (http://torontotlmserving.blogspot.ca/p/about.html). Further, these parishes, and those that comprise the leadership of these organizations, I have witnessed to be operating in accordance with the Mind of the Church, and are firm proponents of the New Evangelization, as well as working in firm Charity and Fraternal respect to the papacy of Pope Francis, and those Papacies of all the Holy Fathers who have sat on the Papal Throne as the Vicar of Christ in the Church. You are free to look for other options in the Archdiocese of Toronto besides those I have listed.
I hope that this is a good and thorough answer to your question, particularly if you have young, budding saints of your own who would like to venture into Latin Mass serving.
Pax Tibi Christi, Julian.