I come as a bearer of good news! I have today for all of you one major announcement this week for the Latin Mass in the Archdiocese of Toronto, as well as other related tidbits that caught my eye this week.
1) St. Patrick`s Gregorian Choir is organizing it`s annual Sacred Heart Mass for 2014 this week. This choir, headed under the graceful direction of choirmaster Surinder S. Mundra, has been in existence since 2006 when it formed on the EF feast for Christ the King in 2006. Since then, the choir has striven to bring grace and reverence to the EF in the Archdiocese of Toronto, bring much inspiration to the EF.
What I love about working with the choir (at the serving end of things), and have witnessed when observing some of the choir practices, prior to my serving instruction, its how its members are committed to singing properly and with excellence, Gregorian Chant. The choir consists of clearly committed Catholics, not striving for glory, fame, or to exceed all others in their work in the EF, but to pour their hearts out to Christ through the sacred Gregorian Chant and other works sung at the Latin Masses. Some of them even contribute to the Saturday 5pm Novus Ordo at St. Patrick`s Catholic Church downtown, singing the major sung parts of the Mass.
Enough of my praises for my colleagues in Faith. Here are all the details, as per my initial Summer 2014 special offerings page:
Friday June 27, 2014 - Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir
- When? Friday, June 27, 2014
- What time? 7pm EST
- Where: St. Lawrence the Martyr Catholic Church
- Location: 2210 Lawrence Avenue East, Scarborough, ON
- Level of Mass: Solemn (Missa Solemnis)
- Parish Website: http://stlawrencethemartyr.com/
- Parish Contact Info: 416-759-9359 & Fax: 416-759-6725. Request Fr. Steven Szakaczki the Latin Mass Chaplain for any specific inquires unanswerable by clerical staff of the parish.
- Information/Enquiries/Want to Assist in serving, singing, or other ways? 416-731-4485 to reach the SPGC choirmaster.
- Poster:
As a minor note, I will be serving in the role as boat bearer, alongside my familiar colleagues in the Mass, and some new people too. Can`t wait.
2) Other offerings in our Archdiocese: For those whom are unable to travel the distance to Scarborough for our Mass in the evening, or are unavailable in evening hours for whatever reason, there are other EF Masses being held in the Archdiocese on the EF Feast day.
The first offering during the day, is the usual daily offering at Holy Family Church at 1130am (weekdays) under the Oratorians of St. Phillip Neri in Toronto, in the Parkdale neighbourhood. Please see here for more information as to their location and usual times.
The second offering is westward, at St. Joseph`s Catholic Church in Streetsville/Mississauga, Ontario. This offering is being done with the assistance of the Toronto Traditional Mass Society. See more details in my Summer 2014 post under Friday's date and Feast of the Sacred Heart.
3) The Latin Mass Society of Canada: I would like to introduce one of the newest members to the Federation International Una Voce (FIUV) in my wonderful country, The Latin Mass Society of Canada (LMSC). For those who don`t know, FIUV is a lay organization which was started after the Second Vatican Council, whose aims revolve around the preservation and promotion of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. They are represented in a number of countries and are one of the longest running organizations who have been vocal in their aims and in ensuring the EF is respected and promoted. You may look up more information on their website, here.
The LMSC is the latest addition in Canada, who is a fully affiliated National Chapter of the FIUV. According to their Facebook Page: ``The Latin Mass Society of Canada, a Member of Una Voce International FIUV, endeavours to promote the Traditional Latin Mass and Sacraments among the laity and clergy throughout Canada, in accordance with the provisions of the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum of Pope Benedict XVI. We do this through a network of autonomous chapters and members who support the aims of Federatio Internationalis Una Voce.``
I highly encourage you to contact them and to support their work. They currently have chapters in various spots in Canada. Furthermore, the president of LMSC, Paul Fournier, had been elected to the executive of FIUV as one of its vice-presidents.
The secretary of the LMSC, Donna O`Connor, had left her business card at St. Lawrence the Martyr, and so, I reproduce it here so you can get in contact with LMSC, though the email is latinmass.canada@gmail.com:
4) This is what you use side altars for in a Church: Have you ever gone to one of the non-wreckovated or non-modern Churches in a parish and wondered about those little long tables at the side, if "that is an altar, aside from the one in front of me?" The answer is likely, yes. Sadly, with the widespread promotion of the Novus Ordo, and hatred towards Ad Orientem, the usage of these altars died for the most part. These days, with the return of the EF, priests are now starting to use them again, even saying an EF Low Mass at the same time as the Novus Ordo Mass on the main altar. In fact, that's what the side altars are for, so other priests can say their own private, or daily Masses, should the main altar be used.
Well, I had never witnessed this phenomenon happen in any modern church, just pictures on the internet. If any of you are in the know in the EF in Toronto, one of the most reverent and longest serving EF priests in our diocese is Father Liam Gavigan. Every weekend, he travels in from Ottawa in order to assist St. Lawrence in its EF Mass duties, by saying the Friday Evening, and Saturday Morning Masses at St. Lawrence the Martyr. He also does the Eucharistic Benediction and Adoration when he can stay longer on the weekend at SLTM. I caught him doing this Sunday before the 7pm Novus Ordo.
So, what`s the story? After my practice, I got to catch a certain Holy Father of Christ setting up something to my right. Here's what it looked like from my viewpoint:
What's that, a Chalice, Mass Cards, and such to the right??? Uh shouldn't they be on the Center???
So naturally, I took a closer view, and sure enough, Father Gavigan had set up the side altar for Mass the following morning, likely before he would go back to Ottawa or because the main altar would be in use (likely for the Novus Ordo as SLTM's Monday Latin Mass is 11am).
While I have never gotten to witness a Mass with an altar for side usage yet, seeing it set up for the first time like this is so cool.
And that's all she wrote for today folks! Please attend the Latin Mass on Friday, whether it be the day or the evening at one of the special offerings. If you attend the SPGC organized Mass, you will see me serving at brief points (boat bearer is only needed a few times), and I am happy to meet you after Mass if you like.
Pax Tibi Christi, Julian Barkin.
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