Hello to all,
I hope everyone has been keeping safe and well in these challenging times, both medically and spiritually. It has been many a month since I have posted anything on this blog of mine for a number of reasons.
One key reason is my crazy but wholesome vocation to marriage with two kids under 5 and full-time work in health care. That alone means very little sleep and time for anything else. Also, the pandemic has played a role somewhat, and of course, the two-pronged documents of Traditionis Custodes and its follow up “dubia” or instruction at the end of last year, has made the Latin Mass at the least more “contained” and at the worst, offerings and expansion opportunities lost. In our own Archdicoese thankfully prudence has been applied and the usual offerings already in place pre-TC have been kept, but after TC, no extra offerings or opportunities have been allowed (w/exceptions approved prior,) due to the restriction of NOT hosting additional Latin Masses in “parochial” (aka diocesan or parish) churches, outside of the offerings permitted by the bishop(s). So news is sparse.
Regardless of the situation of the world and the Church at large, I want to continue this labour of love and also to attempt semi-regular blogging again. Perhaps once, maybe twice a month, I’ll try to make a post. While yes the Latin Mass is always the focal point of this blog, the postings might expand into other topics that surround the Church and our world, or other spiritual facets and points of interest in our Faith. Not to mention I’ve had other posts “under construction” or desired posts I’ve wanted to make such as my “serving” page with free guides, and the Liguorian reflection series on his Ascetic works.
Thankfully in spite of TC and the Dubia (herein, TC + D,) the Latin Mass still persists in various ways in Toronto. So, let the postings begin as of this month of June, starting with some points of interest:
1) A Nuptial Mass many months overdue … Back in last summer at the end of August 2021, I was able to serve in a Latin Nuptial High Mass, celebrated by Fr Michael Simoes, pastor of St Mary’s Star of the Sea in Mississauga, ON. This priest may be familiar as he was the subdeacon for the Christ the King Mass at St Mike’s Cathedral back on Oct 2016! This Mass was planned prior to TC so, with the permission of ++Collins or one of his co-bishops it was allowed to still occur. I have a draft that has been long sitting undone, and I am working on completing the full report. However, to do so I’ll need to contact a couple of people involved in the Mass, including the lovely couple! It will be enjoyable to check in nearly one year later and see how their vocation has flourished even more!
2) The normal archdiocesan parishes offering the Sunday Latin Masses have been allowed to continue offering the Latin Masses in Toronto in order to serve the needs of the faithful attached to the EF. That would be:
- The Oratorians of St Phillip Neri at Holy Family and St. Vincent de Paul parishes. Sunday 930am Missa Lecta/Low Mass (at St. Vincent de Paul) and 11am Missa Solemnis/Solemn Mass (or Missa Cantata/High Mass if short on clergy, at Holy Family)
- The offerings courtesy of the Extraordinary Form chaplain Fr Russell Asch. That would be 11 Latin Low Mass/Missa Lecta at St Patrick’s Schomberg, and the home base parish of EF chaplaincy, 1pm Sundays at St. Lawrence the Martyr, Scarborough.
Please continue to attend and support these offerings. To still do these Masses is a blessing and we should show our gratitude in time, energy, finances (e.g. to pay for hydro/electric/mortgage costs; the personal or Church-wide needs of the pastors caring out the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass …) and spiritually in the full and “active” participation at Mass, but also to His Eminence Cardinal Collins who has chosen NOT to abuse the laws of the Church as some shepherds have done in their dioceses. +Collins has prudently chosen to keep the olive branch alive for that segment of the faithful whose needs are found in the EF, keeping them afloat on the Barque of Peter in these turbulent “waters.”
3) St Patrick’s Gregorian Choir (herein SPGC) is alive and well! … I am happy to report that my good friends of SPGC have a new home in the interim. Between COVID and pastoral decisions due to a change in leadership, the SPGC was released from St Patrick’s in downtown Toronto, as of Winter 2021. After a long hiatus (but with the choir meeting virtually in weekly ZOOM meetings,) finally a temporary home has been found at the Cathedral of Transfiguration in Markham, ON. SPGC now is the liturgical choir for the 5PM Extraordinary Form Latin Mass (*) there, providing the Gregorian Chant for the liturgy on the first Sunday of every month.
In addition, the choir may do extraordinary Feasts/ Solemnities of the EF calendar as well. They plan on doing that in June as traditionally, they do a Latin Mass on the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This year the feast falls on Fri June 24. I personally plan on, at least, attending, but desire to return to serving in this offering, albeit I will have to contact the clergy regarding that part of the liturgy.
4) We Still had a Triduum in the EF!!! Yes, believe it or not, Toronto did have a Triduum. While I am disappointed there was no public promotion (… maybe this was intentional, due to fear of TC + D, being asked by harassers and enemies of the Church and/or the EF Mass, to be applied and stop it?) it still happened. I first found this out, thanks to one of my friends in the SPGC choir who attended the offerings, seeing the photos on her Facebook page. Furthermore, another attendee contacted me privately and informed me it was also held according to the liturgy and it’s associated rubrics of “PRE-55,” before changes to the Holy Triduum liturgy (Post-55’ or 1962.) For more information please see this well constructed website: https://www.pre1955holyweek.com/
Now, personally, I am nonchalant which one is held be it 55’ or 62’, though hardcore/radical traditionalists say the 55’ is superior in terms of “tradition,” scriptural readings (aka “lessons”) and adherence to “T”radiation and doctrine. I am NOT going there, except to say I’d personally rather focus on promoting any and all aspects of 62’ as it’s better to build on the “basics” and/or what is most readily available in terms of liturgical items and/or resources (books.) To me, this is a better way to re-introduce the Latin Mass to the life of the Church, especially post TC and it’s Dubia. I’m looking at the “long haul” vs liturgical purity or perfectness here!
The Triduum did take place Holy Thursday to Saturday, at the EF homesite church of St Lawrence the Martyr in Scarborough, ON, under the direction of Latin Mass chaplain Fr Russell Asch. While the liturgy had to be carried out at odd times for certain days due to the Novus Ordo regular Triduum schedule, the liturgies were carried out traditionally as per pre-55 rubrics with: 9pm Holy Thursday liturgy, Good Friday liturgy at 6pm, and the major liturgical service for Holy Saturday at 10am in the late morning. Of note, Holy Saturday Service prior to the 1955 reforms DID take place in the later morning, so this was not just a balancing act that day around Novus Ordo liturgies.
Here is just a sampling of the pictures my colleague took to record this historical fact that the Triduum did happen in Toronto (obtained with permissions from my choir friend:)
Picture 1: Transfer of the Blessed Eucharist to the altar of Repose on Holy Thursday, with assistance of a canopy used in processions. The canopy is prescribed in the rubrics.
Picture 2: Good Friday liturgy, with the thurifer taking back the thurible/censer
Considering Our Eminence, ++Collins, could have easily said NO and used the laws of the Church in TC + D to stop this, it is a beautiful and blessed sign that this was permitted in our Archdiocese. Even in these challenging times, Catholic Traditonalism and the Latin Mass continue to flourish. Deo Gratias!
5) Finally, I have reposted an oldie but a goodie, on the Saceed Heart Itself, and it’s Feast, including a devotion I completed over 2009-2010, the 9 First Fridays. When I first started this blog, I made this post in its first year. While I am glad to link to the original post here, it deserves a repost for anyone new to here. It is one of the posts prior to this one as well.
Hoping to start my labour of love once again, and elucidate all of you in a positive, pro-Church and pro-papacy manner while being pro-Traditionalism/EF.
Pax Tibi Christi, Julian Barkin.
* See Wikipedia here also. The Cathedral was consecrated as a valid and licit worship site by the Catholic Church in the 80’s under JPII, therefore Masses can occur there. However due to church/secular politics the cathedral became placed in the hands of private ownership. Today, it is NOT physically under the corporation sole of the Archdiocese of Toronto, and thus is not an actual parish or chapel of the Archdicoese. Therefore it falls within the desires of TC + D that the EF be done outside of “parochial”/diocesan parishes whenever possible.
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