Friday 10 April 2020

Some Internet EF/Chant Resources to Help You During These Times for Holy Week (and after)


Hello to all of you, 

I chime in today, after a long hiatus between my FT day job and managing a 2 year old and a household, to provide you with a much needed posting. 

These days are much for those of us in the Catholic Church. With our parishes closed and priests forced under state/provincial guidelines to NOT allow gatherings above X number of people (in Ontario, that is 5 people,) only the very few will have the blessing of the Eucharist (reserved over from Holy Thursday Liturgy) and or the Triduum services, and the Holy Mass after this weekend on Sundays. 

I can only imagine to my brothers and sisters in the Archdiocese of Toronto who prefer the Latin Mass/Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite this is particularly devastating (as well as those in other Ontario dioceses,) as availability to the EF is already limited in the everyday life of the Church, even during normal times. 

Here in this post, I will place a few links of services, including those in the regular Church Mass/Ordinary Form, out of loyalty and service to our Shepherd Cardinal Thomas Collins, that one can partake in during these times. While one can search for EF livestreams from the FSSP or the ICKSP online, this blog IS of service, and based out of, the Archdiocese of Toronto. Hence I prefer to promote local efforts. 

Ordinary Form Liturgy/Gregorian Chant

1. In the Archdiocese of Toronto, we are thankful that our Arcbishop and Shepherd, Thomas Cardinal Collins, has gracefully allowed live-streaming of Masses and services during Holy Week from the Cathedral Basilica of St. Michael's in Toronto. Let me remind the viewers that His Eminence is favourable to the Latin Mass, so much so that in 2016, A Solemn (High) Latin Mass was allowed by his Eminence, with himself as homilist, to be graciously done at St. Michael's, organized by St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir.  

I say the above in as much as for minds who may be saying "hey it's not the EF/Latin Mass" to support His Eminence, and that for weekday Masses, it is worth one's while to tune in via the Archdiocese of Toronto Facebook Page for the livestreams/recordings, as most Masses are celebrated and preached at by His Eminence. He does not preach fluff and rainbows! (with maybe, exception of those in the Book of Genesis.) St. Michael's also is one of the few live-streams for Daily Mass.  

The Facebook for the Archdiocese of Toronto is: https://www.facebook.com/archtoronto/
While their normal weekday livestream is 7:30am, their Livestreams for the Triduum are as follows: 
  • GOOD FRIDAY @ 3PM EST
  • HOLY SATURDAY VIGIL @ 7PM
  • EASTER SUNDAY @ 10PM
Speaking of St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir, Choirmaster Surinder Mundra, in light of St. Patrick's Toronto being closed, has decided to continue with practices chanting what would be the Gregorian Chants/Propers for their Saturday 5pm Novus Ordo Masses of the upcoming weeks. 

Hence, the choir is active and is providing a unique opportunity for everyone, (including myself, who normally altar serves and does NOT do the choir side of things,) to participate in their practices !!! Their practices are being live-streamed onto their Facebook page!


The usual time for their online streaming is 6:30PM Est on Saturdays for regular practices, though extra occasional opportunities may be streamed at different times than usual, and other days. 

And like the Oratorians, I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO SUBSCRIBE TO THEIR YOUTUBE CHANNEL. IF THEY GET 1000 SUBSCRIBERS THEY WILL BE GRANTED FREE ACCESS TO LIVESTREAM ON THAT PLATFORM!!!! 

For those local residents, and or/those who can travel, if you like what you see on their livestreams, and think it would be great to do it when the parishes open again, contact the choir and/or Surinder and come in person to chant!

Extraordinary Form Liturgy/Vespers

For those who are CRAVING the Latin Mass/EF, and insist on it for the Triduum and Sundays, There are two parishes I would like to bring to light who ARE doing livestreams of their Extraordinary Form Masses, though one is in another diocese.

1. Oratorians of St. Phillip Neri - Holy Family Parish

As has been featured a number of times on this blog, in Toronto the Oratorians of S.P.N. are a religious fraternity that offers traditional formation for pre-Seminary but also partakes in BOTH forms of the Roman Rite and even boasts its own Gregorian Chant Schola. They operate the parishes of Holy Family, and St. Vincent de Paul in the Parkdale areas of Toronto. Other links are as follows:


While I cannot confirm via the Internet if parts of the Triduum will be live-streamed, This parish IS live-streaming on Facebook and recording Masses for both the OF and EF, 10am and 1130am EST respectively. 

IN ADDITION I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO SUBSCRIBE TO THEIR YOUTUBE CHANNEL. IF THEY GET 1000 SUBSCRIBERS THEY WILL BE GRANTED FREE ACCESS TO LIVESTREAM ON THAT PLATFORM!!!! So please do so.   

2. Mater Dei Latin Mass Community - Sudbury Ontario

This Extraordinary Form community is not in the Archdiocese of Toronto, but is based in Sudbury, Ontario, and has been live-streaming their daily masses on their website here: 

This community WILL be livestreaming, via its pastor, Good Friday Liturgy, albeit as a Low Mass without the assistance of servers/Acolytes and other clergy. The EF Good friday Liturgy will be at the traditional hour that is for Good Friday liturgy, at 3pm EST

The pastor is also doing daily livestreams of his EF Low Masses during the week. Highly recommended for those who must absolutely partake in the EF at this time of COVID-19. 

3. Vepsers???

While it is possible that perhaps one of the EF fraternities such as the FSSP, ICKSP, or a monastery, might be broadcasting such, there is something special going on for Toronto, courtesy of the St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir (with a little help from yours truly ....) 

What? HOLY SATURDAY VESPERS IN THE EF,  THIS SATURDAY APR 11? SEE HERE!

Pax, Julian.  

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