Requiem Latin Mass Tomorrow (Saturday Jan 17) for Latin Mass Supporter. Please Attend.

The following is re-posted from the blog of the Toronto Traditional Mass Society. In repose of the deceased's soul, as well as to support Latin Mass efforts in the Archdiocese of Toronto, I highly implore you to attend.

I do apologize for not posting this earlier. It should have been, no excuses.

Pax, Julian.

"Dear Friends,

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing into eternity of our long-time friend and member Mrs. Carmelle Emma Harrison. Our sister [editorial note: of Christ, not religious sister] passed away on Monday, January 12, 2015 in the presence of her sister and nephew. 

Carmelle is resting at the Marshall Funeral Home 10366 Yonge Street, Richmond Hill. Visitation is on Friday, January 16 from 2:00 - 4:00 in the afternoon and from 7:00 - 9:00 in the evening.

The Sung Requiem Mass in the traditional Rite in which Carmelle loved will be celebrated on Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 11:00 A.M. at the Church of St. Mary Immaculate at 10295 Yonge Street, Richmond Hill with internment to follow at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto"

Solemn Requiem Mass sub-topic: Catafalque

Latin Mass Altar Serving: Requiem Mass Sub-Topic: Catafalque

Catafalque (cat-a-fal-quay)

In a Requiem Mass for the deceased, the casket is present in the center of the main aisle before the Sanctuary, surrounded by six candles (that differ from ordinary acolyte candles). 

If there is to be no body of the deceased in the Mass, as on the Solemnity of All Souls Day, or a Requiem Mass of rememberance where the deceased are not present, what takes the place of the casket is an object called the Catafalque. 

As to what the Catafalque is, Fr. Robert Pasley, the Chaplain of the Church Music Association of America (CMAA) describes it as such:

" .... The catafalque is either an empty casket or a wooden form made to look like a casket that is covered by the black pall and surrounded by six unbleached (orange) candles (when they are available); it is a symbolic representation of the deceased. When it is present, the priest sings the absolution for the deceased as if the body was present. The body was the Temple of the Holy Spirit and must be shown the greatest respect, even symbolically ...." (Pasley R. in Oost-Zinner)

The symbolism of the use of the catafalque, 

" ... calls to mind the stark reality of death and judgment, but in contrast, the hope of God’s mercy and redemption. We offer the absolution for the dead and we pray that we will be prepared for death. We realistically and vividly face the reality of death and just as realistically and vividly we profess our belief in the Resurrection. Our faith is strong―even stronger―by meditating upon the death we know will come to all of us." (Pasley R. in Oost-Zinner)

As described above, in addition to the catafalque box itself, lie six candles of more simplistic design which will surround the sides of the casket, four near the corners of the casket, and two at the center of the left and right side. For your interest a hobbyist-craftsman in the Archdiocese of Toronto was commissioned to build a set for a Solemn Requiem Mass and his process can be seen here. 

Works Cited

Pasley, R. in Oost-Zinner. Things can Convey Spiritual Realities. The Chant Cafe. [http://www.chantcafe.com/2013/06/things-can-convey-spiritual-realities.html]. Retrieved 09 Jun 2013. 

Some brief notes about today and the funeral Mass I served

Hello Everyone,

Briefly, just a reminder that despite the weather, tonight's 8pm practice for the Monthly TLM server practice at St. Lawrence the Martyr, Scarborough is still happening.

As a brief note, the Mass had 3 of us together (the 4th server was a family member who had to change roles and be a pall bearer). The mass was a Requiem Low Mass with some Organ accompaniment, with two acolytes and a crossbearer/boatbearer/support server (aligned with acolyte 1, the "bell").  The Requiem Mass was said by Fr. Liam Gavigan.

At this time I will not be posting on serving requiem masses, until some more experience is acquired, as I do not have enough experience/support via my reference material to create a worthy posting.

More importantly, I just wanted to add a post-script from today's funeral Mass. I discovered that the deceased, is in fact the cantor/organist that we were fortunate to have for last month's Christmas Mass I served at St. Lawrence the Martyr, the aforementioned Margaret G. Her full name is Margaret Lucilla de Ga. 

Her obituary was posted in the Star, here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?n=margaret-lucilla-de-ga-oss&pid=162586446#fbLoggedOut

Margaret Lucilla de Ga, Requiescat in pace. Please keep her in your prayers for those souls in purgatory you pray for. 

Pax, Julian.

Personal Note and Reminders

Hello Everyone.

Just some reminders and a personal note from today's adventures in EF land:

1) Requiem Mass reminder from my prior post:

Robin L. M. Cheung

+amgD: ... the grandmother of Our organist for the Extraordinary form of the Roman Rite Mass passed away yesterday 10 min before Mass--her funeral in the traditional Latin Requiem Mass will be this Friday at 1130 am at St. St. Lawrence The Martyr (R-C) Church — at St. Lawrence Martyr Church.

That would be St. Lawrence the Martyr Catholic Church, Scarborough, Ontario, this Friday January 25th at 1130am. The Church is at 2210 Lawrence Avenue East in Scarborough.

For this Mass, having spoke to veteran server Robin, there will be us and 2 other servers, for a total of 4 servers. It is unknown whether this Mass will be a Requiem Low mass with additional servers and minimal accompaniment of music as permitted rubically for Low Masses, or a Requiem Missa Cantata. 

2) Monthly Toronto TLM Serving Group Meeting/Practice

Just a reminder: 

The next practice for the serving group will be held This Friday, January 25th, 8pm. The Church is at 2210 Lawrence Avenue East, closest to Lawrence Ave. East and Kennedy Rd. 

For both items in 1) and 2), SLTM is accessible using TTC by taking transit to Kennedy Station and then a 43/43B bus to Lawrence Ave. E. and walking west for a short time to get to the Church.

3) Personal Stuff 

I got to do my 2nd Low Mass in a 2 server Mass today alongside Robin Cheung, SLTM veteran server at SLTM! 

The celebrant was Fr. Gavigan, so interestingly enough, there was a slight change or two, from the prayers in the sacristy (additional ones before "Procedamus in Pace"), and instead of offering the burse post-communion for the corporal and the chalice veil goes on top, you present the chalice veil by the corners to him, and the burse is stacked on top (or something else but it's not the usual order ...). Unless you got a solid reference from a liturgical book/Canon Law/Vatican, don't be a piss-pot! I'll make sure you never post here again!

Despite not having formal 1-on-1 training sessions for the Low Mass, and I was using other YouTube serving videos and some book guides so I didn't look awful up there, I managed to get through. I was OK, but I need a few more Low Masses under my belt. I'll probably be Acolyte 2/"Book" one more time, and then I'll progress to Acolyte 1/"Bell" and maybe .... alone. 

Pax, Julian. 

Requiem Mass Funeral at St. Lawrence the Martyr in the Archdiocese of Toronto This Friday Jan 25, 2013 1130AM

For your information, and as part of my goals for this blog, I am highlighting the following in our diocese at St. Lawrence the Martyr Catholic Church, Scarborough, ON.

1. 
   

   Robin L. M. Cheung

   13 hours ago

   +amgD: ... the grandmother of Our organist for the Extraordinary form of the Roman Rite Mass passed away yesterday 10 min before Mass--her funeral in the traditional Latin Requiem Mass will be this Friday at 1130 am at St. St. Lawrence The Martyr (R-C) Church — at St. Lawrence Martyr Church.

In due seriousness, may those who are associated with St. Lawrence the Martyr, or who want to offer up their prayers for the deceased through the Extraordinary Form Mass, attend this Requiem Mass.

Pax, Julian.

Some Postscript Notes
1) Already, a few EF Requiem Masses have taken place at SLTM since their serving program started a couple of years ago, and likely more will follow with the presence of the EF at SLTM ... and the calling of our Lord of many more members of the Boomer generation (to their eternal judgement and hopeful reuniting with our Lord ... lest they were in the state of sanctifying grace upon death).

EF Requiem Masses will increase as a regular occurrence in the life of the Church today, with the resurgence of the EF in dioceses be they lay organizations/choirs/parishes. This won't just be in the archdiocese of Toronto, but worldwide.

2) Provided I serve a few more Requiem Masses, I will add a post on serving such a Mass when the time comes, dedicated to the Requiem Low Mass.