Off the Beaten Path: #howtodad ad for Cheerios

Hello Everyone,

Time to take a break from my usual posts, and go off the beaten path. While viewing my blogs, this advertisement popped up in the side screen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GYxH2-WeZY

What makes this video so epic? Well it's a salute in an advertisement that hails all fathers out there, but also large families.

Watch the whole thing from start to finish. In the video, this guy has 4 kids. That's right, 4! That is a statement in itself where most families are not procreating enough, especially Catholic families. Further, this dad is NOT a bumbling idiot as portrayed by the man-sterilizing, anti-male, misandrist media and society. No, rather he's protector, advice giver, multi-tasker, and man-in-command of this house as he associates with all the members he's got.

Kudos to General Mills and their latest advertisement for Cheerios. If you aren't a organic foods/health nut, then go buy a box of Cheerios and let them know you did it because of this ad. Especially you Catholics!

Pax, Julian.

The "Nun" Trend ... but Not Those Nuns ... I'm talking about "That" Symbol

Hello Everyone,

Sadly, the Islamic terrorists in the Middle East have driven our Christian brethen out of one major city, and are now doing graffiti art to Christian's homes, painting a symbol that looks like a "happy face" with one eye. It's called "Nun" and is used by the terrorists as a mark of shame.

Interestingly enough, a number of Catholic Traditionalist Bloggers, including the Trads Behaving Badly, have taken that symbol as their Facebook profile pictures, or their Twitter pics, and even made blog posts with the symbol, to show solidarity for their persecuted Christian brethen.

I, however, on Servimus Unum Deum, as well as on my Facebook, will absolutely NOT be doing this.
I will not be doing this for two main reasons.

1) Holocaust Reminder ... Offensive to my Jewish Background. To me, this symbol reminds me of the Jews who were persecuted and killed by the Nazi's, who were forced to be identified by wearing a Yellow Star of David. It reeks of being made to feel like a second class citizen, and a target to be killed. Further, having a Jewish father and relatives (yes that's true. Is that offensive to you, TBBs?) I am abhorred with the whole practice for what it is worth. You may want to argue that you are trying to turn this symbol into something positive, but to me, a mark of death, is a mark of death. So no, I am likewise, not going to practice in a different form to "reform it", as this act is the very thing that made the friends of, and possibly, some of my distant family members and predecessors back in World War II, marked targets for death. Just instead of German Nazis, it's Radical Islamic Terrorists marking me. And don't even get started on saying that it's a way to "identify" with the pains and sufferings of my family. We don't simulate practices that degrade the human of their dignity just to "identify" with them. In fact, if anything, it destroys the person even if it was simulated or similar. Don't believe me? I dare you to research the Dr. Zimbardo prison experiment that is well known in psychology.

2) (Mostly) Radical Traditionalists Trending This Practice. Hate Screeds and Desire to Fight Back ... Between the Lines or Directly. My second big reason for not doing this is because most of the people gung-ho to do so are the Radical Traditionalists, a.k.a. TBBs. Some of those I know or read are more saner in the Traditional Catholicism spehere who are doing it, but not everyone. For the TBBs, what is part of their posts accompanying the nun letter makes me sick to my stomach.

First example, everyone's favourite TBB blog, Rorate Caeli, devoted a posting to the Nun Letter, and here's a screen capture of the first part of the post:

If you notice what the "header" picture is accompanying the blog, (and all other posts as well), it's an artistic depiction of a knight in the red cross regalia in armor slaying the Ottoman Turkish Muslim radicals in the Crusades. 

Further, here's what they have to say at the end of the post, before an interview with a Christian representative, with my emphasis bolded:

"They mean it as a mark of shame, we must then wear it as a mark of hope: Yes, we are in the army of the Resurrected Nazarene, the Master and Lord of the Universe, the Man who is God Almighty, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. You may kill our brethren and expel them, but we Christians will never go away."

I am not sorry to say this, but between that Crusades header and the military language, basically Rorate Caeli is expressing a hatred for this, so much that the message is to slaughter the Muslims. It doesn't need to be said aloud, but they are advocating a Crusade to fight the militants. Put 2 and 2 together folks. That's TBB antics for you.

Another example, was one that offends me as a Catholic with Traditionalist leanings, and some participation in the Latin Mass. While I will not name the blog on purpose I am that disgusted with it, another TBB blog posted this symbol in solidarity with their Christian brethen. But in addition, the poster called the Muslim faith inspired by demons (in essence, Satan and Hell). Wow ... how anti-ecumenical, anti-Nostra Aetate/Vatican II, and anti-Catholic. It's one thing to hate the murder and violence, and to properly discuss what elements are true and not in other faiths, but to call the faith of a whole Mass of people, who express more devotion than many Catholics around the world, "demonic" serves once again to show the inner hatred and pride of the TBBs, and embarrasses the many good Latin Mass attending Catholic Traditionalists worldwide. I am sure that any Muslims reading that posts, SOOOOO BADLY wants to convert to Catholicism now, especially the Latin Mass, knowing their faith is inspired by Hell's demons and Satan. What a nice show of "ecumenism" to our monotheistic brothers.

Now, what about the rest of the Catholic blogosphere? Most bloggers, including the so-called "Neo-catholic" ones, are discussing this, but they are NOT posting that symbol on their Facebooks, or their actual blogs. If anything, they are advocating prayer and NOT subscribing to such hate screeds.

So, what can we do then, besides the symbol?
Well, in a nutshell, prayer, and acts of fasting and penance, are our greatest spiritual weapons. I'll leave the lovely Mrs. Anchoress, Elizabeth Scalia, to inform you how to properly do something productive about the crisis in the Middle East with our Christian Brethen, instead of participating in these symbol shenanigans. Please see her latest post here: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/theanchoress/2014/07/21/5-things-you-can-do-right-now-as-isis-threatens-iraqi-christians-and-shiites/.

And so, that is my 2 cents on this matter, and something off my chest. Again, I am deciding that comments are to be closed for this post, to deter combox harassment. Frustrated? Do it on your own soapbox, er, blog.

Recent Altar Server Book Haul

Hello Everyone,

For those who do not frequent the world of YouTube that much, a "Haul" is basically a purchase of a number of goods at once for one's self.

I said in my 7 Years Summorum Pontificum Posting, I had just recently decided to splurge and purchase a number of books for the Latin Mass, and it wasn't cheap. However, I do issue a correction ... because I got something else too I didn't want at first, but now have (I'll explain below) .... it came to over $220 now altogether.

Here's the latest purchases from FSSP/St. John Cantius:

• Replacement - How to Serve Low Mass and Benediction by William O'Brien, Angelus Press
• The Liturgical Altar by Gefforey Web
• The Traditional Latin Mass DVD from FSSP (Liturgical Publications)
• Not Pictured - Candles in the Roman Rite by Rev. Edwin Ryan, D.D.
• Handbook for Laundering Liturgical Linens by Angelus Press
• Not what I wanted ... 3 Volume set of the Roman Ritual

Yes, two of those books are from Angelus Press, but 1) There is no other publisher to date who's reprinted the books, so you have no choice, and 2) I bought them from the FSSP store online, so at least most of my money is going to them.  

Now, as for that 3 volume set, that's more appropriate for priests. I certainly cannot do sacraments, and I wouldn't likely be able to do any blessings (and certain sacraments e.g. Baptism) unless I was perhaps, a deacon. However, I do still have the set because the good folks at FSSP, in sending me the wrong books, gave me the option of either returning the set (at $150 USD it's a pretty decent loss in profit), or offered the set to me at 1/2 off. Well .... why not! What great customer service! And who knows, maybe there's a priest in my diocese who'd like this. And of course, just today ....

... The right books arrived. The reprint of the Manual of Episcopal Ceremonies originally by Rev. Aurelius Stehle, O.S.B., D.D., revised by Rev. Emmeran A. Rettget, O.S.B., M.A., and reprinted by Preserving Christian Publications.

Hope you enjoyed my latest round of purchases. Pax, Julian.

Facebook Highlight: Dave Armstrong and Personas On-line with In Person ... Your Heart Affects Your Words

Hello Everyone,

I follow the well-respected Catholic apologist, Dave Armstrong, on Facebook. Recently, he created a great post on how what we are online is no different from in person. Our heart/soul cannot lie, and despite how one person thinks that you can be nicer in person vs. online, it doesn't truthfully matter. Here's what Dave Armstrong has to say on the matter, and he's no hypocrite if you have viewed his writings at "Biblical Catholicism":

BAD ONLINE BEHAVIOR: NO EXCUSES IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS

Someone noted that people are generally a lot nicer in person than they are online. This was my response (with quite a bit added presently):

If a person habitually acts like an ass online, it's still the same person who exists offline who chooses to do that, when it is totally unnecessary and wrong. They're either "acting" online (passive-aggressive, gossipy, slanderous, rude, juvenile garbage) or acting when they are "nice" in person. Something is fishy there. Otherwise, they would act with normal Christian charity whether online or in "real life." 

In other words, they are not two people, but one, who chooses to act differently (usually much worse) when online. Ethics and morality don't change according to venue or environment. They are what they are.

Of course, some folks simply have an uncontrolled tongue or a hot temper, or a tendency to run others down, for various possible reasons (besetting sins), and that comes out online as well as offline. I do agree that those sorts of faults get *magnified* online, but such behavior can't be blamed *solely* on lack of body language, inflection, tone, and all the rest, that has been noted hundreds of times.

People act in self-interested fashion. So, we have more to lose in person and we shape up. But online, many folks seem to feel that they can act like idiots and "get away" with it: almost like a know-it-all rebellious college kid out of town on one of the pathetic "breaks": where he or she feels that they can do any outrageous behavior and not be noticed by anyone they know. No boundaries or responsibilities . . . 

THAT'S how (sadly) too many people act online. I contend that this is the real person coming out (due to less social pressure to "behave"), and that we stand accountable for all the words we say (or type).

In the end, we are responsible for what we do; how we act. Does anyone think it will matter a hill of beans to God on Judgment Day whether our sins were committed via Internet writing or in vocal words in person? St. James' and St. Paul's and Jesus' warnings about the tongue and lack of charity apply here as much as anywhere else.

Thus, I've always, from the beginning of my online participation (1996) insisted that folks should act exactly the same here as they would in real life (like a Christian!), and cease with the games, the anonymity (with the allied silliness of nicknames), the one-upsmanship, being the big shot of a forum or venue, the cliques, the disposable friendships, the endless vanity and pretensions of self-importance, factions, divisions, and "groupthink" -- and all the other nonsense. But of course, all of that reflects real life, too.

My conclusion is: folks are online what they are "in real life": even if the "real life" persona may be primarily hidden in their hearts, and is not outwardly observed. What comes out of our "mouths" [or, keyboards] proceeds from the heart, after all, and the bad tree produces bad fruit, etc. (Sermon on the Mount stuff). We are all in need of God's grace on a continual basis (primarily from the sacraments) in order to be and act as God would have us to be.

Some good food for thought from a true, orthodox Catholic. Pax, Julian. 

Summorum Pontificum 7 Year Anniversary: General and Specific Reflection from a Young Adult Altar Server

One note before I begin. I am turning off comments for this post as I am getting personal about my experiences with the Latin Mass. Certain readers and/or bloggers might not like it, but this is my blog, and my experiences. I don't need more headaches this week anyways ..... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - - _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _- _

Hello everyone.


Yesterday was an important day in the EF of the Roman rite. It was the 7th anniversary of the motu proprio, Summorum Pontificum, released by Benedict (Emeritus) XVI. This is THE document that gave Catholics much freedom to celebrate the Latin Mass without persecution from bishops and controlling priests. This post will be an overall, but also personal reflection, to me of where it has taken the Laity and myself, and what needs to be done to keep it going strong.

The past 7 years generally

Since it's release, more and more priests and parishes are embracing the Latin Mass with gusto. The gamut ranges wide from the occasional, monthly mass, to full blown daily Mass communities and introduction of EF societies and personal prelatures (e.g. FSSP, ICKSP) in dioceses worldwide. Furthermore, practices surrounding the TLM are even being embraced in Novus Ordo Church culture, such as sung Latin hymns and chants in the Mass, ad orientem worship, and even traditional catholic practices like Eucharistic processions. Some parishes have even limited their serving core regardless of the form of the Mass to boys only, and these dioceses have seen an enormous surge in vocations to the priesthood.


However, as many good advances there have been in such a culture, Satan has been immensely on the prowl, trying his best to poison this deadly weapon against him. Because these traditionalists won't fall for the heresies and modernism of the usual Church culture, he's gone the opposite way, attacking it through radical extremism/Pharisaic-ism. Sadly, numerous web bloggers and even certain members of a priestly fraternity have been more than happy to fall on he opposite side of the narrow gate, and have become the Church's, newest, roadblock to the proliferation of Traditional Catholicism. 

And their actions haven't gone unnoticed by the Vatican, so much so, Pope Francis has taken afew well- needed stabs at their dismal actions in his daily Fervorinos in the Santa Marta chapel.(Hey! The Vicar of Christ, is acting just like Christ did ... he's calling out the Pharisees! Ha Ha ha!) He even was so bold as to call out the Trads Behaving Badly in his Apostolic Letter, Evangelii Gaudium, in paragraph 94 as the "neo-Pelagians." In addition, not all priests and bishops have been on board with the "reform of the reform" as it were. In certain cases, such as with Una Voce Costa Rica, and recently, the sacking of Fr. Wylie in New York under Cardinal Dolan, not all is good and well in Traddie Land. At least, there are some examples where the Church has appropriately intervened when Trads have gone Bad, such as with the Franciscans of the Friars Immaculate, and Fisher More College under the archdiocese's bishop. 

Regardless, there is clearly still an antagonism in general towards the Latin Mass, which is being further aided by those who act all Pharisaical, regardless of how "passive" or calumnious and detracting their tone is. Yet ... more and more it seems as if the cracks are appearing in the dam, and eventually, it's gonna burst wide open in the Church.


Personally, my own reflection on the growth of the EF via my Archdiocese

I cannot speak for much of the early years post SP, as I only came onto the scene in 2011 to the EF, but what I have seen I can comment on in a short span of 3 years. If I can speak on the pre-2011 times, it is only from what I've glanced at from web sources about my own diocese.


Our archdiocese of Toronto had a great start when SP came out. The Oratorians of St Phillip Neri began to do daily masses with SP surpassing the 1988 indult, and the two lay groups began to do Masses, first together (to an extent), then sole organization of their own Masses around the turn of this current decade. On the serving end of things, there was a good size of about a dozen or so plus a few of us serving and we did anyone's Mass. We even had the FSSP priest Fr. Venette for a time, though he left in 2010 before I appeared. That initiative wassoon replaced with a parish community I've blogged much about here on SUD, St. Lawrence  the Martyr, with its chaplain Fr. Szakaczki, under the guidance of Fr. Roy Farrell, a dream team if I ever saw one in this author's opinion.


If there is anything I have seen though, that has been a barrier to SP being more fully fruitful, as a server, in my diocese and worldwide, it is the radical traditionalism that certain members hold within he movement and their public expression. While the majority of EF attendees come to the Mass for its sake and the glory of God, a sizable minority have chosen to undertake either online and/or on the ground leadership in the TLM, and the witness has been one that sadly gives The Holy Father credence to "slam" them as it were, in his Fervorinos and Evangelium Gaudii. Their witness, as defined by professional Catholic Apologist Dave Armstrong, in his e-book Mass Movements: Radical Catholic Reactionaries, the New Mass, and Ecumenism: "...is one of [a] self-important attitude: a Pharisaical, relentlessly legalistic, know-it-all, holier-than-thou mentality,and lack of faith in the authority of Holy Mother Church; also anunwillingness or inability to think along with the Mind of the Church. That lies at the root. It's "spiritual kindergarten" (location 202 - 206)


For me, I have witnessed, have been the target of, and continue to witness bullying at the online or personal hands of these leaders. Just last week in fact, Michael Coren, a popular Catholic writer and columnist for the Toronto Sun and our Catholic Register, was the target of a TBB hate-fest, because Coren has changed with regards to his views on how to treat those with same-sex attraction, after being horrified by the hate crimes being done to those with SSA in Africa. While Coren does have to further clarify his statements regarding Dr. Teresa Pierre of Parents As First Educators and the Sin of Sodom, after seeing the hate-fest that occurred online, I cannot believe that I have to be in the same ``camp`` (of which all EF and/or traditional Catholics are lumped together in) with these bullies. I sure do NOT condone what they did (Cue the hate bombs from those bloggers.) 


As a Latin Mass server, I personally could not continue to serve in some capacities in this Archdiocese, and do not frequent the Latin Mass as I should because I became enraged and sick of the harassment in those parts of the community, as well as feeling "spied upon" by the laypeople attached to these leaders in misguided loyalty. I will say to its credit, that in certain parishes and/or communities, this happens less or is not present, and hence why I associate with the groups and parishes I do.



It is also not only me who has been affected. During the dark hump that was occurring in mid-2012 to mid-2013, besides other things had the displeasure to witness two of my former serving colleagues stop EF serving altogether and serve either the Novus Ordo only, or other rites in the Church, because they too got sick of all the politics and hate. I also watched a different serving colleague sadly become lost to the Society of St. Pius X who are NOT in communion with the Church, and have NO SACRAMENTAL MINISTRY.



If you have followed my blog for some time, you can see why I write the way I do and cover the way I do because of these things. Unfortunately, the archdiocese and His Eminence, Thomas Cardinal Collins, have become aware of a portion of this activity, and needless to say they don't appreciate it.See here with ++Collins speech to youth at this theology on tap in May 2013 at 13:15. I side with them, completely.


But yet .... there is hope here in Toronto ....

However, despite of all the sub-culture politics and mudslinging, I am proud to be part of the activity I am involved with, and blessed to be under the spiritual authority of ++Collins. My Eminence clearly understands the beauty and sacredness present in the EF, so much so, he chose to rise above all this, and was present not just in a physical body sense, but as a greater prelate in a Solemn Latin Mass for the 75th ordination of Msgr. Foy. That means, for those of you new people or confused on the word, that he was in the Liturgy on the altar, in copeand mitre, said the EF prayers at points, and was seated on a pontifical throne raised on a platform, with other priests as attendants, while the main servers and clergy (celebrant, deacon, and subdeacon) did the Mass like usual. That my friends, has never happened since Vatican II in the Archdiocese of Toronto. NEVER .... UNTIL NOW! That is a BIG statement in the Church.

The diocese took the helm in the organization of the Mass and had control in it's liturgical aspects. My serving colleagues, a number who I`ve served with for St. Patrick`s Gregorian Choir Masses, proudly were the torchbearers, lighting the way for Christ.


Further, there has been no halting, stopping, or banning of the Latin Mass in neither the parishes in the West and the East of the Archdiocese of Toronto (Oratorian ones and SLTM respectfully), nor the lay organizations who help put on these Latin Masses, even with all that has happened online and in person. All EF parties have continued to, as evidenced by my reports and listing pages, holding these Latin Masses in parishes,and at certain times there have even been multiple EF Masses on specific feast days. Also, there has been the odd new joiner here and there that has ventured in for serving and the Masses.


With such an example in this Foy Mass, and the continuation of the Latin Mass parishes and the lay groups, there is clearly a future in our archdiocese for the Latin Mass. I can positively feel like there are good things to happen for the EF, including myself as a Latin Mass server.

The future? My hopes and what must be done.

So where does this leave us after today? Generally speaking in the Church, while growth is steadily increasing and more youth are coming to this form, there is a ton of work to do. We must increase the education of the laity and priests in this form, dispelling stupid notions such as "the Latin Mass is not suitable to contemporary Catholic worship." If anything, it is NEEDED to complement it, and even enhance it, where Novus Ordo liturgy is done inappropriately. 

We need to increase the number of priests and servers trained in this form, and this everyone .... means emptying out your pockets and paying up. I just bought 5 books recently for the Latin Mass and after shipping and handling it's over $120 Canadian! That's just one example, although I will admit half of the cost was because, inspired by the Foy Mass and seeing it as a reference book in my other books, I bought the Caeremoniale Epsicoporum reprint from the FSSP. This stuff is not cheap! Even cheap metal stuff is not cheap in the EF! 

Another note on training: while some dioceses are allowing EF societies or groups in to handletraining, most aren't. It will this be up to individual priests and laity (that means MCs too!) to train both clergy and servers who can't afford excursions, training packs, or can't go away from their home diocese to train. As for the music end of things, that's not my forte, but how about giving young music students who've completed musical studies degrees in classical arts and/ororgan studies, jobs in parishes or part time with Latin mass groups with stipends for their work? They gotta eat and save up for families too, you know.


I will stress however that the biggest hurdle, as a young lay server, that will deter people from exploring the Latin mass, especially clergy, is the online and in-person "policing" as it will. Extremism does not appeal to the majority of people unless they are in a desperate situation. Further all it does is fortify the stereotypes already in place about us "trads," even occasional ones like myself. This also extends to politics in the Latin mass itself. When the trad behaving badly stuff gets to people, they often want nothing to do with the EF, and they won't return. On some occasions, it might even send them further into that realm, and they might associate with groups like the SSPX who aren't in canonical communion with the Church. 

I'll admit I've been testy at times here at SUD in my zeal for the EF, for +Collins, and to fight radical traditionalism. But we all MUST start expressing positivism and mercy in our online personas, and even mix and mingle with those "Novus Ordo" types. If there is anything we are supposed to learn from Pope Francis, it's to extend a hand if mercy and Christ's Love to others to show them what we are about, all the while defending the teachings of the Church. He clearly is not for extremism, and I think we EF people should likewise follow his example. Until those people responsible for the bulk of this nonsense start expressing this mercy, and dioceses startcurbing those who don't want to tow the line after repeated attempts at peace, then I forsee this will continue to deter most priests from opening up their parish doors to the TLM, so as not to attract 'those crazies with the Latin Mass.'


In terms of my Archdiocese, I think what would be a really cool idea, would be to "complete the compass" as it were. There's already a "West end" TLM parish, and an East one. What about having a South/Downtown T.O./Central TLM site, as well as one in the North of this diocese? In fact, I am thinking of a community who doesn't have a parish built yet that could be a potential, perfect spot for a TLM (with of course, needs to add in communion rails in the planning). 

Personally, in the interim, I would also prefer if the Archdiocese also set up a training school for the lay/inferior ministers to be able to train properly for the TLMs, until there are enough groups/parishes that can supply those training needs to a set standard. However, the staff chosen to train people, must have a proper, TBB-free attitude and if need be, no affiliation with groups portraying such an attitude.


However, one good thing that will likely happen here with the TLM in Toronto, is I think after the Foy Mass, the Office of the Archdiocese of Toronto, particularly under ++Collins, is going to start holding these Masses on special occasions. One occasion, I can forsee this being possible, would be on the Feast of St. Michael. ++Collins could organize and hold a Solemn Pontifical Mass every year to mark the cathedral and Archdiocesan feast day. Another occasion would be, the completion of the renovations to the Cathedral when it is complete. Thatwould be the perfect time to "Christen" the "New" building as it were, so why not with a special Mass? Even if it is not annual, I do think strongly that ++Collins will be the Prince of the Church to do it, and after the success of the Foy Mass, clearly it can be done again. Somebody should buy him a Cappa Magna though if there isn't one hanging around the archives though. Really.

My Final Thoughts.


Overall, not just in my diocese, but also generally speaking, yes, we might still have large hurdles to overcome in terms of spreading the TLM, but I do have hope and feel, even in the Pope Francis pontificate, the Church IS going to see a growth of the TLM. Hopefully, Francis will discover it ISN'T a fad among the youth, but a place where they are getting fed. As both the disgruntled elders who witnessed the liturgical carnage and became sowed with hate, and the free-spirit hippie generation that all but banned the TLM are dying, the TLM is more and more becoming the grounds for a new youthful generation without those hatreds and screeds to take over. The haters and hopefully, the bloggers, too, will become a less sizable minority, and the majority will become positive leaders, whether they are online, servers, choir members, etc. Also the newer members taking positions of power in the politics of the Church, are becoming more and more like ++Collins-es, and less and less like Buginis. These newer members are more neutral to positively conservative and orthodox in their Catholic faith, and aren't putting up the same fight against the TLM as their political forefathers.


In addition, there a special X factor we haven't taken account of .... the 4th/MIllenial generation. What I've been seeing is that the Church is starting to invest in youth ministry and deeper worship for young people. Most Trads of course balk and spit on things like the Stubenville Conferences and praise and worship, but as a Glad Trad, what I see, is that first step towards making them open to the TLM. These young people are getting what many of us, even my generation, never got: investment in their Faith with a specific center to Eucharistic devotion, and encouragement with mercy and Love. These groups and experiences are the baby steps or first building blocks where they will then want more, and be ready to want that experience the TLM will give them. I think that what we will see is in the next several years, this "1st/2nd wave" of youth ministry kids will gradually, though maybe not in huge numbers, start wanting to explore their Faith deeper as adults, and they will be the next, newest crop of youth to come to the TLM.... if we do not go all TBB on em that is.


Final thoughts: Yes there is still that darkness overhead, but it is dissipating, Virginia. Keep fervent in your prayers to the Lord, and continue to be evangelical and spread the Gospel, all the while supporting (both financially and personally) the Latin Mass. The light is gonna shine baby!

HAPPY 7 YEAR ANNIVERSARY TO SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM!!! THANK YOU POPE EMERITUS BENEDICT XVI!!!

Pax, Julian Barkin.

Report: Friday June 27, 2014 Solemn Latin Mass on the Feast of the Sacred Heart with St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir

Hello Everyone!

Once again, I had the esteemed pleasure and privilege to serve a Solemn Latin Mass with my compatriots in serving, and under the organization of the St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir. This past Friday, June 27, 2014, together we came to be part of a Solemn Latin Mass/Missa Solemnis for this Feast Day of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which occurs both in the Novus Ordo and Extraordinary Form liturgical calendars on this day. I was the boat bearer, but nonetheless happy to serve alongside St. Pat's choir in the Latin Mass.

To begin with, we had a practice on the Sunday prior, after the 7pm Novus Ordo Mass celebrated reverently by Fr. Steven Szakaczki, SLTM's Latin Mass Chaplain, a priest I know to be a true alter Christi in his vocation to our Lord. Afterwards, with almost all servers present (save one for work reasons), we went through the basic duration of the serving parts for the Mass. It was great to do this with old serving comrades, and even two new young siblings to the foray, one whose first time it was doing this Mass. Needless to say practice went well and our MC, Paul Mundra, guided us effectively.

And so the day finally arrived this past Friday for our Mass. Besides Fr. Szakaczki as our Subdeacon, two familiar faces showed up to complete our clergy roles for this evening. The first was Fr. Russell Asch, coming from his current (soon to be former) assignment at St. Patrick's Markham, and he was our Deacon. The second was a kindred soul hailing all the way from Campbellford Ontario, Fr. Jean-Marie Pilon, under the newly installed +Kirkpatrick in the Archdiocese of Peterborough. Fr. Pilon was our Celebrant this evening.

Our preparations were done in good time. As per my usual reporting, here's some of the setup pictures for the altar, as when in liturgy, we do NOT take pictures on the altar:

Credence Table with Chalice and its Veil. 

The Altar with cards set up. Basic metal framed cards that were used in prior St. Pat's Masses eventually replaced the cardboard laminated cards. 

The Sedilia and accompanying seats for our clergy. This pic of the three is my favourite. Isn't it beautiful and majestic how the light shines through the windows onto the chairs? It's like it's telling us something ...

7:00pm rolled around, and lo we proceeded out to carry out the greatest form of prayer in the world, the Catholic Mass, the extraordinary form of the Roman rite. With Fr. Pilon as our celebrant, it was he who gave us the homily at Mass. Here is what I could remember from Fr. Pilon`s Homily, albeit not quite verbatim, and I know I skipped over connecting parts:

• There is an expression told to people, to ``have a heart.``
• For people, this advice is hard to swallow as many people are bearing their own personal sins. 
• When we turn to our personal sins, we often express the sin of anger. The sin of anger does not allow us to be with God, and we often make God the source of our anger for whatever our struggles are at that part of our Life. 
• In being angry at God, we do not want to allow Him into our lives at that point when we are sinning. 
• However, God should not be the source of our anger. If anything, God is the opposite of anger. If anything, he is the steadfast and most ultimate source of Love in our lives. 
• God gave us our Lord Jesus Christ, his ultimate sign of His Love for us, from the depths of His very Heart. 
• Man, alas, shallow and concerned in His sin, rejected God in the form of the Word Made Flesh, spat on Him, whipped Him, beat Him, and even crucified Him on the Cross. 
• But that was not enough for sinful man. Man even had to go so far as to literally, pierce his beating heart, while upon the Cross. 
• That person who did so, was the soldier, Longinus. In Longinus, he represents in us when we commit the most egregious sins of them all, Mortal Sins. It is these sins that, freely, expel us through that open wound, out of the loving heart of Christ. Some of you might have already pierced His heart in doing so already. Some of you might do so in future. Some people, continually pierce His heart by staying in Mortal Sin and committing such sin. 
• However, do not think or be angry that God, via our Lord does not love us, or does not understand us. When we feel that we are broken, our Lord knows of our brokenness. When we feel that he cannot understand us, He in his Divine Love knows the whole of human sin and darkness. When we feel that we are not loved, He Loves us perfectly. He Loves us via his pulsing, beating, heart, the very heart that we have stabbed in the form of Loginus` spear. 
• It is out of that Heart that he has come to give us repentance and mercy and His Undying Love for us. So much that there have been brought forth devotions to His Heart, and he has shown certain Saints how to do so. To Mary Margaret Alcaquoqe, we were given the devotion of the First Fridays in Honour of His Sacred Heart. To St. Faustina Kowalska, we were given the modern day devotion of Divine Mercy, (which as pictured here in St Lawrence the Martyr to my left), pours forth abundant rays representing his Divine Mercy and Love, straight from His Heart. 
• But further more, one can find the overwhelming Love and Mercy of our Lord here in His Sacraments. You will find His Love and his Heart here in the Mass, in the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist. 
• Importantly, it is in the Confessional in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where His Heart pours out his mercy and forgiveness for those sins, even mortal, in the confessional. Here he renews you and you may be part of His Love, emanating from his Sacred, pulsing, Heart. So avail yourselves to be a part of the Divine Love of His Sacred Heart. 

All in all, while there was minor mistakes made, and sometimes we were a little too fast in our speed for processions, our overall serving of the Mass was much better than last year's Mass. Part of that was our MC emphasized that we listened to him, for his cues, during the Mass. We did actually listen to the cues for the Mass and our transitions to various parts were smooth. Further, everyone carried out their duties in their assigned roles, with nobody freezing up when they were carrying them out. Oh, and our young torchbearers did their jobs well if you were wondering.

In addition, considering another Latin Mass group was holding their own TLM in the west end of Toronto, and it was the beginning of the "long weekend" for some people who could take of work yesterday, we still managed to have a good solid turnout of 100-130 people for our Latin Mass, when SLTM looks like visually it could hold about 500-600 people in its pews. To me, that's a great turnout!

Regardless, it was fine indeed, a good serving experience, and the future looks promising. St. Patrick's next Mass will likely be its anniversary Mass, that of the Feast of Christ the King on the last Sunday in October, so Sunday October 26th, 2014. However, there might be a Mass later in the summer somewhere .... and .... there might be something in the works for me as a server. Not 100% sure, but when I have more full details on St. Pat's next Mass, you will definitely hear it from me and I'll add it to the Summer Listings for 2014!

Hope you enjoy this report, and of course, if you have any other reports or things to add, like pictures, e-mail my blog at torontotlmservers@gmail.com. Just remember, read my blog rules and no communications of slanderous, calumnious, or detracting nature. Course, I really hope someone took pictures from the pews of the Mass.

Pax Tibi Christi! Julian Barkin.

Part I of Update to May Posting 1 on ELA of Contradiction: My Trust was Breached in the Archdiocese of St. John

Hello everyone.

I was blessed to be able to join my serving colleagues once again, in assisting the St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir, in serving the Lord via the Latin Mass for the Feast of the Sacred Heart. I will draw up a report of this Mass soon with my usual altar setup pics and my recollection of the celebrant's homily.

However, I must now draw some attention to a previous matter, which has taken an interesting turn at the hands of a traditionalist behaving badly .... and badly he and his accomplice(s?) have behaved.

If you will recall last month, I decided to defend my Eminence, ++Collins, against Eric Lea Alcock of Contra/diction! blog, who thinks that my Cardinal isn't just doing enough against the source of abortion, contraception and moral evil. Calling +Collins out, so to speak, from the comfort of his domicile several land masses and some waters away in Newfoundland, he now has 4 recent posts, and others he's wrote in the past, criticizing my Eminence to the point beyond fraternal Charity.

My Eminence was unknowingly slandered and calumnied by this individual, in such posts as seen here, after the magnificent feat of his presence at the Solemn LATIN Mass ``in the Presence of a Greater Prelate`` for Msgr. Foy's 75th ordination, and I decided to take this to task. Worse, ELA is a stereotype of the "Trad Behaving Badly" (my coined term, because "Mad/Rad Trad" infuriates the directed targets to commit more sins, and unfairly calumnies the good traditionalists) as I discovered he was an attendee, and blogmaster for, the now deleted website for a St. John`s Newfoundland Latin Mass group in the Archdiocese of St. John`s, under the pastoral authority of Archbishop Currie. Some snapshots of what was up is provided here:

The blog was taken down. 

Google Cache of the former St. John's Latin Mass Community RECENT blog, webmastered by ELA. It actually wasn't like Contra/diction! blog. Too bad.  

Wanting to stop to misrepresenting Latin Mass Catholics, and the insult of my Eminence, I decided that this would require ecclesiastical authority in his region to intervene, that is whomever is his bishop (now confirmed as +Currie of A.St. John's). I therefore composed an e-mail detailing what Mr. Alcock has done about my bishop, and how he has misrepresented, like so many others on the internet, the Latin Mass community by what he blogs about. This was sent to the three Archdiocese offices of NL, meant for their (arch)bishops.

Sure enough, Mr. Alcock wasn`t happy with me discovering his TBB antics, and wrote his own defamatory posting about me with a picture of a knight on horseback (thanks. That`s a compliment to me!), and he posted my written letter to +Currie et al. for all to read IN FULL! If you came here because of it, thank you for the additional blog hits (of which I receive 0 pay,) and go on! Explore my blog more! You might like my postings on Latin Mass serving positions and breakdown of the parts of the Mass! In fairness, he did credit my zeal for my Eminence.

I rechecked the post this past week as my experience with TBBs in past is they tend to cover up their works when they are caught, either modifying or deleting things they post. Not only did some other like-minded person want to contact him, Mr. Alcock removed the full text of my letter. Why? In Mr. Alcock's words at the now updated post, with my emphasis bolded and underlined:

" UPDATE: In order to protect my sources I have removed from this posting the contents of an email sent by Julian Barkin to the Bishops of NL. The reader can easily click on this link to one of Barkin's blog postings to get a good idea of what he said to the Bishops about me"

This removal was clearly NOT done in charity to me, by order of +Currie and the Archdiocesan office of St. John's, or repentance of the sin of detraction and/or calumny.

I am quite disturbed by this breach of my confidence and privacy with the Office of the Archbishop of St. John`s. I sent the email to the publicly listed addresses on the Internet and trusted the offices of the NL archdiocese to respect my privacy. Further what am I to think as a young man of 30-years in the Church, as one of those less than 25% (and probably even lower amongst my age group of gen Xers) of weekly Mass attendees, when one of our biggest issues is the distrust of authority, both secular and eccleastical? Were my faith weak, I'd rip myself apart from the Church and hate bishops and priests because of this breach of trust. Thank God at least I can trust my own Archdiocesan Office, and my faith is strong enough NOT to lost Faith, but really?

For the full letter to have been posted, according to the words of ELA above lest he be right, this clearly shows:

1. An abuse of power, privilege, and their office, of someone within the Archdiocesan office of St. John's. This can be anyone from a web administrator, an administrative assistant, or other staff member. Further it's easy to use blind copy in e-mails to hide knowledge of other recipients. The person could have passed the email to +Currie, and easily sent it to ELA as a BCC. 
2. A sincere form of disrespect for +Currie and his office in the Church
3. That should there truly be an ally of Mr. Alcock in the Archdicoesan office, then this is an example of blatant hypocrisy by those who claim that liberals snuck into offices in the institutional Church, parishes, and dioceses, and are wreaking havoc in the Institutional Church from within (That is, it weakens their arguments and decreases the likelihood of being taken seriously, including real victims of such crimes by those abusing power).

Sadly, in this case it appears as if the Trads Behaving Badly. have connections in a chancery office for once. If Mr. Alcock is right, someone up in +Currie's office, a TBB or misguided soul, clearly leaked this out, protecting Mr. Alcock as a friend, the Latin Mass, or some other reason.

Should what Mr. Alcock claims to be true, it was morally, spiritually, and professionally INAPPROPRIATE of you, the person behind the information leak, to abuse your position in your office, to leak that communication, and I hope that the Archbishop will be more cautious in future of whom he hires as staff. I trusted your boss, +Currie, with this communication, that he would do the right thing for Holy Mother Church, by helping to fight against the radical traditionalism that plagues the Latin Mass and their self-elected adherents online and in person, and to stop the calumny and detraction of another fellow Canadian prelate, who's MY "SPIRITUAL" BOSS.

Might I also inform viewers that while I am an adult, +Currie released, for public viewing, a letter on the Archdiocesan Policy for screening employees, viewable here. In it, he says the following, with my emphasis bolded and in one instance, underlined:

".... At the core of effective ministry is a sacred trust which must be created and nurtured. Like professionals in our society, such as physicians, lawyers and others, trust is given to those who perform ministries in the church. Trust can take time to create, but can be destroyed in a moment. Screening of priests, employees and volunteers will help to reveal instances where trust has been abused in the past. It will help to protect those for whom we care, and to reduce the risk of misconduct from occurring in the performance of our ministries. This screening policy will benefit those who minister by clarifying their responsibilities and by outlining how to perform their ministries appropriately ...."

Mr. Alcock`s source would have been screened, likely with the high risk option, with some form of background check to be fully employed in the chancery office, as they are dealing with all kinds of people, including those in most need of our safeguarding (e.g. elderly, minors). Despite not being a minor, and that the screening is not fullproof, this is clearly a violation of the Screening in Faith policy he/she underwent, as outlined in +Currie's letter at the link above. As a matter of fact, the release of such information in ANY workplace dealing with sensitive information, would constitute termination of employment.

While other possibilities might exist, I am 100% percent certain, that +Currie is innocent in the whole matter. +Currie, as per his blog here, `Vox Clamatis in desertio,`` was on his way to Quebec, Montreal, and the surrounding areas for a week long pilgrimage. He would have to entrust such communications to his staff and to deal with such business upon his return. He would be concentrating on the pilgrimage at hand and not archdiocesan business. The expression is ``While the cats are away, the mice will play`` and I would not be surprised for someone to do something like this in his physical absence from office.  Further, permanent, PUBLIC, Sunday time slots for TLMs are according to bishop's authority (therefore, Sunday obligation) and the community has existed since the turn of this decade (2010's), so it would be contrary for +Currie go against the St. John`s community after all these years? This act clearly could not have been at his hands, so all you TBBs, cease your whining and conspiracy theories now!

To wrap this up, as seen above, Mr. Alcock has decided to take off the blog he was the webmaster of for his Latin Mass community in St. Johns. While there is an older blog still up containing the basic information for any Newfies to go to the TLM if interested, it is clear that Alcock's blog was the more recent one for the group. Perhaps this was a direct order to dismantle the blog by the St. John`s group? I surely hope that this wasn't a classic TBB playbook move of covering up evidence of wrongdoing. Also, couldn't Alcock have transferred over the position to another person in the TLM community as an alternative to maintain the blog? Or to have a second person be the author of that blog to post content and to post that person's profile, if he had to step down? That's usually what organizations do if they want to keep the existing framework, but to give a new, positive image to the organization.

Regardless, this whole episode just shows how far these TBBs will go in their pride and power, and what they will do to enforce their Trad Behaving Badly "version" of Traditional Catholicism, the one that Pope Francis detests in his multiple homilies, It's their way or no way, and they do not care who they hurt, whether it is the young people of the Church, or all the way up to the Church's princes and Vicar. You fight, they will play dirty and publicly smear you. They are the "other side of the narrow path towards the heavenly gate."

Sad thing is .... their antics will just lead more prelates and dioceses to reject the Latin Mass and traditional Catholicism and not dispose of anything that might be considered "spirit of Vatican II", as what the TBBs are doing, looks 100 times worse. THIS IS THE WORST TIME IN THE CHURCH TO DO SUCH THINGS POST-BENEDICT XVI !!!

Traditionalists, everyone, please smarten up. Take the good acts these few stronger bishops, like ++Collins are doing, for what they are with no criticism or ill will, unless they are doing something grave like ad-libing the Mass, or objectively violating church teaching (e.g. "communion to divorced AND remarried Catholic is OK").  Support and cheer them on when they act courageously and do things like hold EF Masses or issue strongly worded pro-life pastoral letters without the added barb of TBB poison or speculation.

Good Trads, those who are not these TBBs, or represented by them, please be active in the defense of your beloved Latin Mass and Traditional Catholicism. Else these TBBs will represent you, and even the good princes of the Church, might not be so willing to extend their graces to you, despite Church laws and motu proprios. Law is 50% interpretation remember?

Part II will also be coming up later, though I will need a bit of work on that one as it will involve trying to post differently than what I have here. I might even need a bit of help on that. Also, reporting on last night`s Latin Mass is a bigger priority to me on S.U.D.

Pax, Julian.

St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir Sacred Heart Mass This Friday June 27th, 2014 at 7pm! Also other little Latin Mass Tidbits.

Hello Everyone!

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:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/444773692334037/permalink/466502263494513/

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. 

Pope Francis is Traditional! Says the Mafia or Those in Orgnaized Crime are Excommunicated!!!

Hello Everyone....

I think it's safe to say that I've become more active blogging again on here. Guess serving the next Mass organized by St. Patrick Gregorian Choir has lit the flame in me again. However, attending Latin Masses when I am not serving ... different kettle of fish.

And now, the main event:

Wow. What can I say. He finally did it. He publicly in an audience said "X" is excommunicated, and not in communication with the Church.

Who? Pope Francis that's who!!!!

Check the full article out here: http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/06/21/pope_mafiosi_are_excommunicated,_not_in_communion_with_god_/1102039

THE STATEMENT, with no breaks like the usual summary reports: 
"“Those who in their lives have taken this evil road, this road of evil, such as the mobsters, they are not in communion with God, they are excommunicated,” he said to applause."

(Jaw drops to the floor in awe and shock at His Holiness' boldness). 

Yep. Definitely not a liberal. PAX! Julian. 

Shazam! Finally, It Has Arrived! My Long Awaited Thurifer Posting!

Hey Hey Hey!

Well, I have been delaying incessantly about this for a long time, but finally, I finished my biggest altar serving post to date: THE THURIFER! Smoke and incense !!!

You may view my first released version right here:

 http://torontotlmserving.blogspot.ca/2014/06/latin-mass-serving-role-thurifer.html

It will also go under my serving resources page. I'll have to fix it up in the future and likely add procession stuff when I do more of them. I am just finally glad to be done. Took a long time, but .... enjoy.

Pax, Julian.

Latin Mass Serving Role: The Thurifer Version 1.0

Latin Mass Serving Role: The Thurifer

Source unknown. 

Editor's Disclaimer: As always, what is stated here is not the be all and end all for Latin Mass Serving. In addition, priests or parishes may have some slight variations on what they do for the minutia of the actual Mass. This may include a slightly different vestment setup, what is laid out on the altar, order of `building the Chalice, etc. Always consult the priest/parish instructor for that.

Brief Statistics

Plays a Role in What Level Masses? High Mass and Higher Levels. Requiem Mass if more than 2 servers. Also Benediction and Adoration, and Eucharistic Processions.

How Many? One in all higher levels of the Mass, and Eucharistic adoration and benediciton. Possibly two for Eucharistic Processions if there are enough servers

What parts of the Mass? The entrance procession, the incensing of the altar after prayers at the foot of the altar, the offertory, the consecration, the exit procession. Also Eucharistic processions.

Relative time to master the role? Sufficient time to master. This is considered an advanced serving role due to manipulation of the thurible. Also you must know the differences between the High Mass and the Solemn Masses in who to give what to and do. 

Introduction to the Role of the Thurifer

The Thurifer is a more involved role in the sacred liturgy of the Latin Mass. While on occasion a inexperienced server might be thrown into the role if needed (or in urgency), a parish or instructor will NOT put a younger or less experienced server into this role, unless he is mature enough to handle such a role. A younger server might also be unable to wield the thurible effectively due to less arm strength, particularly heavy metal ones. Usually a younger/inexperienced server takes on the roles of cross bearer and/or torch bearer first to learn about the higher levels of the Mass and gain experience. They might, more importantly, be given the boat bearer role in preparation for the role of thurifer, as that role occurs directly alongside of the thurifer's.

In addition (besides increased visual prominence in the liturgy,) the thurifer will bear increased responsibilities for handling, maintaining, and using the metal instrument called the thurible. These smoke-churning instruments, especially beautiful ones, are expensive and somewhat heavy, and so must be handled with care and responsibility. A server carrying out his duties must know when to recharge their coals to produce smoke from incense without disturbing the liturgy, wield it properly, and do all this in a respectful manner befitting of the Latin Mass.

Before one should undertake the thurifer role, you should understand it`s importance in the Catholic faith as well as its symbolism. You should also get an idea what you will need, how to use the thurible, and then doing the role in the higher level Masses.

NOTE: This posting will NOT cover how to be the thurifer in benediction and adorations (e.g First Fridays or those outside the Mass), with exception of tying it to the High/Solemn Masses.

Scriptural Importance

The role of incense and the thurible in the Catholic faith is prevalent in Scripture. References can be found in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

According to modern Catholic Apologist, Dave Armstrong, there are many general references to incense from the Bible (see http://socrates58.blogspot.ca/2009/02/biblical-evidence-for-candles-incense.html), 161 in all! For the purposes of this instructional post, I will post the most relevant passages below.  

Old Testament

One of the first instances of incense appearing in Scriputre is in God's commands to Moses and Arron, regarding forming an altar as part of the worship space for the tabernacle with the 10 Commandments, to honour Him, after the Exodus from Egypt:

NRSV EXODUS Ch. 30: "You shall make an altar on which to offer incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. ² It shall be one cubit long, and one cubit wide; it shall be square, and shall be two cubits high; its horns shall be of one piece with it. ³ You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top, and its sides all around and its horns; and you shall make for it a molding of gold all around. ⁴ And you shall make two golden rings for it; under its molding on two opposite sides of it you shall make them, and they shall hold the poles with which to carry it. ⁵ You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. ⁶ You shall place it in front of the curtain that is above the ark of the covenant,^[a] in front of the mercy seat^[b] that is over the covenant,^[c] where I will meet with you. ⁷ Aaron shall offer fragrant incense on it; every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall offer it, ⁸ and when Aaron sets up the lamps in the evening, he shall offer it, a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations. ⁹ You shall not offer unholy incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering; and you shall not pour a drink offering on it. ¹⁰ Once a year Aaron shall perform the rite of atonement on its horns. Throughout your generations he shall perform the atonement for it once a year with the blood of the atoning sin offering. It is most holy to the Lord."

We can see here that even from the beginning of formal worship in the history of our faith, starting in Judaism, God himself has allowed for His sacred altar, bearing the tabernacle (with the Commandments OR our New Covenant in Christ in the Blessed Sacrament), to be incensed with holy incense.

I also would like to highlight this passage from Leviticus, the book of the Pentateuch/Torah, whereby many of the orders and laws of worship and conduct for the Jewish people are contained. The particular sacrifice mentioned is an animal, a male cow or steed, a ``bull,`` which is offered up in atonement for sins the person has committed:

Sin-Offerings

NRSV Leviticus 4: 1-7: "The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²Speak to the people of Israel, saying: When anyone sins unintentionally in any of the Lord’s commandments about things not to be done, and does any one of them: 3 If it is the anointed priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, he shall offer for the sin that he has committed a bull of the herd without blemish as a sin-offering to the Lord. ⁴He shall bring the bull to the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord and lay his hand on the head of the bull; the bull shall be slaughtered before the Lord. ⁵The anointed priest shall take some of the blood of the bull and bring it into the tent of meeting. ⁶The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the Lord in front of the curtain of the sanctuary. ⁷The priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is in the tent of meeting before the Lord; and the rest of the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt-offering, which is at the entrance of the tent of meeting ...."

In the Mass of the Catholic Faith, the sacrifice is not a bull, but the Lord himself at Calvary, in which in the unbloody sacrifice of the Mass we re-experience His passion, death, and resurrection. It was in that Sacrifice on Calvary where he shed his blood did He do so for our sins.

Here, clearly in the Old Testament passage, one can see the intermingling of the sacrifice of the unblemished bull and the altar of incense. This is also present in our Holy Mass at the levels of the Missa Cantata, Solemnis, or the less common Pontifical Mass (involving a bishop).

One more reference with regards to incense is the following from Psalm 141, which demonstrates the correlation or prayer and incense:

NRSV Psalms 141:1-2: ``<sup>1</sup> I call upon you, O Lord; come quickly to me; give ear to my voice when I call to you. <sup>2</sup> Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice....``

There are many more references in the Old Testament with incense. One can find a list in this posting on the site of Catholic apologist Dave Armstrong, in this posting here.

New Testament

The tradition of incense in Jewish Worship around the time of Christ continues, as seen in Luke's Gospel:

Luke 1:9-10 according to the custom of the priesthood, it fell to him by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.


Further on in St. Paul's Letter to Ephesians, we see the correlation of the fragrance of incense connected to Christ's sacrifice on the Cross:

Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Most importantly, the Mass IS scriptural, and highly owes itself Scripturally to the Book of Revelation, where incense is featured prominently:

Revelation 5:8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints;

Revelation 8:3-4 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God.

http://socrates58.blogspot.ca/2009/02/biblical-evidence-for-candles-incense.html

Historical (Liturgical) Importance (Msgr. Pope, C. The Incensation of the Altar)

In terms of our Catholic Faith, history-wize, the Scripture passages above show that even in Jewish worship, incense was used for their rituals.

Incense became a part in early Church history with wealthier families and was also part of burial traditions, however it was not widespread in its use, likely because the Church did not want that which pagans were using, to be common place. In other words, for the faithful to be confused that b/c the pagans did it, the Church is OK to do it.

In the 4th century, with the decline of paganism, incense became more common place in the liturgy as being part of processions. The 9th century AD saw incense as part of the beginning of the liturgy of the Mass, and
in 11th century, the incensing of the altar occurred. In the Middle Ages, this is when incense became introduced to other parts of the Mass, as well as what was incensed (including relics, oblations). Once the Tridentine Liturgy was promulgated (by Pope Pius V in 1570), then the current structure we see in today's Latin Mass of when to incense was formalized:

1. The initial incensation of the Altar
2. The Gospel, prior to its reading
3. After the offering of the cruets at the Altar for the oblations/Offertory, the incensation of the oblations (gifts), the altar, the cross, the sacred ministers, the inferior ministers (servers), and the laity
4. The incensation at the elevation of the Body and Blood of Christ at Consecration (Transubstantiation).

When it comes specifically to point three above, the history of incensing oblations comes from another rite`s liturgy, the Carolingian liturgy, which was present around the 8th to 9th century AD, associated with Charlemagne (see http://www.qantara-med.org/qantara4/public/show_document.php?do_id=1308&lang=en) for the regions of Europe under the Carolingian empire where this liturgy would have been used.). It took a couple of centuries for the tradition of incense in the liturgy from this rite to become incorporated into the Roman (Latin) rite of the liturgy, in 11th century AD. (Msgr. Pope, C. The Incensation of the Gifts)

Symbolism of Incense and Relation to your Role

One of the most prominent, and important symbolisms of the incense, is that it represents the prayers of the people, both clergy and laity, going up to the Lord. This is visualized in the smoke burnt from the incense that floats above us during the Mass. Having read the history section, this symbolism makes sense with Scripture, as in the passage from Psalm 141, above, and is specifically mentioned as co-inciding with prayer as in Revelation 8:3-4. 

As a server, this also makes sense as well. Do not forget, as the altar server, YOU represent the laity. YOU give the responses on behalf of the laity present, and YOU represent their assistance to the priests/clergy at Mass. So when you are incensing the altar, that also includes the prayers of the laity going up to the Saints and the Lord on Heaven's High.

Another symbolism of the thurible with incense, is that in its purpose, it gives Glory to God and sacred persons and things. (109-110, Learning to Serve A Guide for Altar Boys)

Toolkit for the Thurifer

Items Needed for the Role

The Bare Necessities Every Parish Should Have

In order to carry out the role of the thurifer in any parish/Mass, the sacristy should be stocked with the following items, or you will need to acquire these items to bring with you to the parish holding the Mass:

• The thurible itself! Every parish usually has one of those, unless they have not done ANYTHING higher than a regular, everyday, Novus Ordo Mass. However, if the thurible and boat set is too "modern" for the Latin Mass or a "single-chain`` one, you might want to take your more traditional/ornate one or "triple-chain" thurible with you to the Mass site.

   

     "Traditional"/Triple Chain                      Top view of Traditional Thurible

                                                          "Modern"/Single Chain

• A "lampstand" for the thurible (so it doesn't burn down the church.). It may contain a little shelf you can put the boat on also. See above with both thurible types. 

• The incense boat. Examples below:

               ``Traditional`` Incense Boat                                 ``Simple``/Modern Boat

• Actual Church incense, not those sticks or store-bought ones. Here's some below, a common brand in my Archdiocese called "Three Kings":



• Charcoal discs or actual heated coals (Most parishes use the pre-made and treated discs).



• A lighter OR a combination of matches and a small candle to be lit (to light the charcoal discs)

 

Bendable Bic Lumiere(TM) lighter

   

Candle to light charcoal discs

• Tongs, to hold the lit charcoal discs:



These materials are enough to carry out the role of the thurifer for any Mass at any parish or site.

Extras if present (or can be purchased/obtained elsewhere)
Additional extras, most referenced here in this informative post by Romanitas Press (with Pictures from their article):

• A tin for wastage charcoal

A little more formal or if you have some coin ...

... but a coffee tin works just as well! 

• Heating Coils (as an alternative to the lighting candle/lighter), and might be necessary if you use real coal, not the pre-treated discs (http://www.romanitaspress.com/articles/electric_burner.htm):

                              Coil Type            

Plate type



• A charcoal preparation stand (http://www.romanitaspress.com/articles/electric_burner.htm)

• A scraping/chopping tool to remove gray expired incense grains off the charcoal, or to break it into more pieces for increased smoke production. A screwdriver does the trick as seen here to the right (http://www.romanitaspress.com/articles/electric_burner.htm):



Doing the Role: Using the Thurible

Moving with/Carrying the Thurible

There are specific rules with regard to moving around and/or carrying the thurible. 

In terms of carrying the thurible, it is treated as a one-handed object. 

• Whatever hand is not occupied by the thurible lays flat across the chest, fingers together, palm spread open. 
• The other hand is fimly grasped around the top part of the chain(s) of the thurible. 
• In certain parts of the liturgy (e.g. processions), you may gently swing the thurible back and forth to increase oxygen flow to the thurible and keep the coals heated (fire needs air to keep going). 
• If you are kneeling, or in a spot where you will be immediately using the thurible, the hand grasping the chain will be moved down about mid-way to a spot you can incense with the thurible, while the hand that was flat on your chest, grips the top part of the chain(s), and holds that portion close to your chest. 
• When moving long distances, you will grasp the top part of the chain(s), below the ring/top part and keep the other hand on the chest as described above
• When moving shorter distances, you may choose to hold the thurible in the manner with which you do while kneeling/immediately before using the thurible.

The Act of Incensing
This will always be a two person job, for the fact that while you carry the thurible, you cannot load incense into it at the same time. However, there is still a certain way you open the thurible, close it, and use the thurible.

Loading

• After bowing and/or getting to the spot where you will incense someone/something, you must open the thurible. You will either pull the "pull-chain" to open the top part of the "complex" thurible, or the top knob of the dome of the "simple" type, to open the thurible. 

• Once you have pulled the chain/top to open the bowl portion, 
• On a "complex" thurible, take the pull chain, and put it in the hand gripping the other chains, so that you can keep the thurible open.
• On a "simple" thurible, you simply keep the long chain close to you, and keep the top dome suspended upward, to keep the bowl open.  

• Then of course, you let the priest, deacon, or subdeacon. put incense from your boat into the thurible.

Using the Thurible to Incense

• When you are to use the thurible, you will hold the top of the chain close to your chest with your weaker hand. 
• You are to assume a grip with your other hand of the chain between your thumb and index fingers. The other three fingers lean against the chain.Your dominant hand should be just before, to about a 1/3 of the way down the chain of the thurible. 
• To extend the thurible outward, you do not use your whole arm as if to throw an object. You use your three fingers to "flick" the chain connecting to the main part outward. The thurible can come back and hit the upper part of the chain before your hand, as it should be taught. 

Clean-up

• You cannot just throw out coals into the garbage bag, particularly after usage! They could melt the bag, light the refuse up, and then your parish burns down!
• It would be best if you have the waste tin/coffee tin to dispose of old coals. 
• You should cool off the charcoal with water after usage, but DO NOT flush it down the sink!
• Once cooled by water, put the remnants into the wastage tin. THEN, These can then be thrown into the garbage bag, or outside. 
• Ensure that the thurible gets cleaned of grime and such every once in a while. You might need your priests or sacristans' assistance to do this. If you are gutsy, you can try this yourself, and perhaps use a metal cleaner/polish (e.g. Good ol' Brasso) to clean the thurible and keep it shining. 

The Role of Thurifer in the High/Solemn Mass

Before the Mass Begins

You should be at the sacristy in good time before the Mass. Preferably a 1/2 hour. You will need more time vs. other serving roles. Do not put your surplice on until the thurible is set up. Coal dust wouldn't be nice on your white surplice.

Once you don your cassock, you should ensure you have all the supplies mentioned above in the vicinity for the Mass and for preparation.

Now, heed the advice below with the corresponding picture:

Make sure that you put the charcoal in the firepot (bowl, right side above) AND that said firepot is in the Thurible. If the thurible has no separate firepot, place tin foil around the well to not damage the inside quicker. These things are not cheap to replace!

So your "bowl" is in the thurible, OR a tin foil "bowl" covers the main part. First, start to heat one-two coals or coal discs using the tongs, your lighting instrument (lighter/candle). If you have pre-treated discs, your coals will be ready for usage when they start to turn red and you hear little crackling sounds, like if you heard bacon or something fried/greasy being cooked in a pan. If you have real coals these are to be remaining on the heating device till ready to use.

Once ready, you may place the coals into the thurible. Now you must allow the coals to "breathe", that is, to feed them air/oxygen so they become increasingly hot and able to burn incense grains. You can do this by:

• Simple and safe method: Leave the thurible open a bit, and rock it back and forth at your side, like a pendulum
• More Risky: Only for the daring and experienced: Whirl the CLOSED thurible around in a circle, like a windmill quickly. Make sure this is done in a large, open area with nothing (including other servers) around you and nothing flammable within reach. 

Now, once your thurible is 'charged' to accept incense that can be burned, ensure to leave it on its stand till you must hold it, or place it on a metal/stone surface. DO NOT leave it on carpet or other mark-able surfaces, lest a church sacristan or priest gets angry at you and they prevent you from doing the Latin Mass in a parish again! Go put on your surplice. 

Reclaim your thurible before the procession. Put in incense if required before your entrance procession takes place, and hold it in your left hand, with the right hand on your chest (or if no boat bearer is present, you might need to hold the incense with it). 

If, however, you are processing on a Sunday or Holy Day when the Aspereges rite will take place, you do NOT wield the thurible, as you, the thurifer, will be holding the aspensorum with aspergillum (the holy water bucket and sprinkler). In this case leave the thurible ready to go on its stand or place. 

The Mass of the Catechumens

Entrance Procession

How you are to process, and where, and what you carry, depends on the Asperges or not. You might also have a companion in serving in your masses in the role of the boat bearer. So he will be mentioned here too in the context of your role as thurifer.

Procession 1: No Asperges

For the High and Solemn Masses, if there is No Asperges, you are to process straight up the aisle, genuflect, and go with the Thurible to the credence table.

If you are in a Solemn Procession, the order of procession is as follows:

Figure 1: Order of Procession in High/Solemn Latin Mass with guide from my Religious Notebook #1

Arrow - Direction of the procession train.

BB - Boat Bearer (if present)

Th - Thurifer with censer/thurible

Ac - Acolyte 1 and 2 (arbitrary numbers were jotted in my notebook only. "2nd" acolyte is to the left, "primary/1st" acolyte is to the right of Cb)

Cb - Cross Bearer

Tb - Torch Bearers (in groups of two) 

MC - Master of Ceremonies

SD - Sub deacon

D - Deacon

P - Priest/Celebrant

If you are going solo, you LEAD the procession. That's right, you are at its front! If you are with a BB, he will be to your left, and you are on the right. The cross bearer or crucifer with acolytes at his sides are behind you.

Regardless of the form of the Mass, High or Solemn, you will do a single genuflection (with the boat bearer if present) on one knee upon coming to the center of the altar, before you go up the steps to the sanctuary. You will go to the right of the credence table and stand while the prayers at the foot of the altar take place. Some trainers/MC/priests though, might allow you to hang the thurible on the stand in the sanctuary and permit to kneel with the other servers. Just remember the ``standard`` instruction, is to stand with the thurible to the right of the credence table.

It is also possible, according to The Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described (112) that the thurifer (herein, Th) may not come out till the end of the Confiteor. (However, this blogging author has never witnessed the Th at Solemn TLMs doing this. Assume being present for the prayers at the foot of the altar is the norm.)

The same is done in the High Mass/Cantata, but the deacon and sub-deacon are not present in the procession for the High Mass.

Procession 2: Asperges is Present (Sundays and Certain Holy Days)

This will change where the Th  goes, as well as what he carries. When there is an Asperges, the Th DOES NOT carry the thurible up in procession with him.

Should there be an Asperges ceremony before the Mass, then the procession is as follows:

a) In a High Mass/Missa Cantata:

(FRONT)
2nd Acolyte        Cross Bearer       1st/primary Acolyte

Boat-bearer (hands folded, no boat)

Torch bearers in pairs

[Clergy in Choir Walking in Pairs]

Thurifer (Holds Cope)     Priest in Cope     M.C. (Holds Priest`s Cope and bucket)

(BACK)

Thus, you are to the Priest`s left when you process. As you process, your right hand is holding up the priest`s cope, the other hand is holding the Aspensorum. When one gets to the foot of the altar (Traditional Latin High Mass Illustrated by Pictures, 9; Ceremonial for the Missa Cantata, 16-18):

• Upon arrival at the foot of the altar, you will release the cope from your hand. 
• You will kiss the hand of the priest when he takes off his biretta, presenting the hand holding it to you. 
• When the trio genuflects, the MC will take the holy water bucket from you and place it on the Epistle side of the lowest altar step. 
• The MC will take care of the biretta and return to his position. 
• Upon the MC returning, MC and Th kneel on the floor and P begins to intone the Asperges me. 
• The MC will give the aspergillum + aspernsorum (holy water bucket + sprinkler) to the priest, and he will then bless himself with the sprinkler, making the Sign of the Cross. 
• After this, ALONE, P sprinkles the servers about him (you and the MC).
• You then, with MC, stand and genuflect.  

Once standing, you will always be holding P's cope at his left side while he is sprinkling all those present, in the appropriate order or sequence. Ensure your turns are in sync with P. Don't forget to keep that spare right hand on your chest, palm flat!

If the Gloria Patri is chanted while the Asperges is taking place, P, MC, and Th turn toward the altar and bow. On returning to the altar, the triad genuflects, though ensure as servers, you and the MC genuflect on the floor. P genuflects on the lowest step. Once the final oration of the Asperges is intoned, the triad genuflects, turns, and goes with P to the sedilia. (Traditional Latin High Mass Illustrated by Pictures, 11).

At this point, you are not usually required to help the priest dress for the Mass in his chausable and other liturgical vestments, and will retire to your designated place. That is usually in the hands of the MC and acolytes. However, as always, slight changes might be necessary according to the setup, the instructions of your MC/trainer/priest, and/or the (possibly lesser,) number of hands available. 

b) In a Solemn Mass: 

The Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Describes this for the Solemn Mass: "... if the celebrant [wears] the cope, then the ministers walk on either side of him, the deacon at his right, the subdeacon at his left, holding the cope. The sacred ministers are covered; those in choir carry their biretta when inside the church." (Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described, 109). Therefore, according to the description, it would look like this:

(FRONT)

Boat-bearer     Thurifer 

2nd Acolyte        Cross Bearer       1st/primary Acolyte

Torch bearers in pairs

[Clergy in Choir Walking in Pairs]

M.C.

Sub-Deacon (holding cope)    Priest in Cope      Deacon (Holding Cope)

(BACK)

Upon arrival at the foot of the altar, you will be in the following positions before you go with the priest blessing things with holy water:

Once you have reached the altar, at the MCs sign, the MC will take the priest (and the SD and D's) biretta(s). The thurifer will go to the right of the Deacon and genuflect with the clergy. The deacon will then take the aspergillum and dip it in the holy water, and hand it with a kiss to the priest (P)/celebrant. P will intone the Asperges Me, Domine antiphon, and the choir will sing the rest, the first verse of the psalm Miserere, the verses Goria Patri and Sicut erat and repeats the antiphon.

As P intones the words from the Ritus Servandus or a card held by D and SD, P sprinkles the altar 3x (middle, Gospel, Epistle or C, L, R). P signs himself with the holy water, then the D, then the SD. D will get back the aspergillum, who will give it back to you. You will then go with the other servers to face the choir on the side of greater dignity (usually, gospel side). D will once again take the aspergillum from you to give to P.

When P is ready to sprinkle the congregation, you will be at the right of the Deacon. Either P will sprinkle the congregation from the entrance to the sanctuary, and you will not follow D, or P will desire to go down the church and return by the centre aisle to sprinkle the congregation. If the latter, you follow the Deacon with the aspensorum so that they can refill the water supply of the aspergillum. This is done until P is finished sprinkling the congregation. Once the sprinkling is done, the Th will place the items at the credence table and proceed to prepare the thurible for the first incense portion of the Mass.

The Mass of the Canons

Prayers at the Foot of the Altar

Th simply stands near the credence table with the thurible ready in his left hand. Should there be no Asperges, it's also possible Th (and bb) will be in a kneeling position with the other servers. They may say the responses at the F.O.A. if they are allowed to and can hear where the priest and MC are during that point. 

Thurifer Role 1: Incensation of the Altar (During Kyrie)
This is the first part of the Th's duties in the Mass. When clergy present in the Mass ascend the predella steps to get to the altar, he is to get up and proceed to (or to move to) the credence table and get the boat, and/or just, the thurible if there is a boat bearer present. He is to hold the thurible in his left hand. After getting the items, the Th waits at the side of the altar, in plano with the BB if present. 

1) In a Missa Cantata
P will come towards the side, and if present, the BB hands over the boat to the MC, the MC ensuring P kisses the spoon inside of it. Should there not be a BB present, the MC will fill his role and you, Th, hands over the boat to the MC. You, as Th, will open the thurible carefully, and then suspend it so that the bowl portion is around the height of the waist of the priest. This way, P is not straining awkwardly to putting incense inside.  

Th will then carefully close the thurible after the Priest`s blessing. Now blessed, you MUST remember to carry the thurible with your right hand. BB if present, MC, and Th bow once the thurible is closed. BB will then retreat to his spot. After, the thurible is handed over to the MC with your right hand, and you are to then go around P and be at his left when he incenses the altar. You will then be holding the priest's chausable as he incenses and move with him right, then center, then left, then center. When P genuflects (usually when crossing the center in front of the tabernacle,), you will genuflect with P and MC. 

Once finished, MC takes back the thurible and you proceed with him down the predella to the side. You then do a moderate bow together and MC will incense P. Moderate bow again. MC hands you back the Th, and you go back to your spots.

2) In a Missa Solemnis
The D will come towards the side, and the BB/Th hands over the boat. Th will then need to open the thurible and present it to P at waist height for easy insertion of the incense grains into the thurible. After the grains are placed inside and P blessed the incense, the thurible is handed over to D (with the right hand now that it`s blessed). If there is no BB, the MC will give Th back the boat, and while the incensing takes place, Th can go and place the boat back on the credence table/censer stand.

If the MC does not remove the missal from altar to allow P to incense it, then Th might have to remove the missal on the epistle side until that side is finished being incensed. (Ceremonies ... , 112). Once the altar is finished being incensed, then he is to come to D`s right. D will incense P. D and Th bow in unison to P after incensing him. Then Th will take the thurible from D with his right hand. You may then retreat to the sacristy and add fresh heated charcoal to the thurible at this point if you choose, though you might not need to. Otherwise, place the thurible on the stand, and the boat on the stand or the credence table. Th then returns back to his seat and sits, stands, and kneels with the other servers at the appropriate time until the Gradual/Alleluia.

Thurifer Role 2: The Gospel
After the Epistle, the Gradual and/or Allelulia are sung by the choir. Once the celebrant has finished reading the gradual (or at the beginning/a designated spot in the Gradual), then Th goes back to get his thurible and the boat if there is no BB. Once again, as like the beginning of Mass, the Th is to wait in plano with BB, at the side of the altar. 

1) In a Missa Cantata (Traditional Latin High Mass Illustrated by Pictures. 27-31; Ceremonial for the Missa Cantata, 38-44)

After the Epistle is changed, P chants the propers, and might also read the Alleluia Tract (septuagesima to Good Friday) or Alleluia II, if Easter season. During this time, you (and your BB if present), retrieve the items needed for incensing. You will wait (with BB) at the side of the predella. After all this, P will move to the center of the altar and the MC will be near you (or near the BB).

You will then repeat the procedure as the first time when P incensed the altar, with one exception. To remind you, BB gives the MC the boat, you open the censer for the grains to be put in, and when finished you bow with MC and BB to P. The exception in this case is you will NOT give the censer to the MC. BB will put away the boat on the credence, or the MC quickly if not present. 

While you are standing at the side of the predella and then doing the incensation preparation, the acolytes will come to the center below the predella, come to the center in front of the tabernacle, genuflect, and go and get their candles. They then return to the center of the sancutary and create a space in the middle for you as Th.

Th will now go to the spot in between the acolytes after stepping away from the predella. MC will get the missal, and do a shorter "V" pattern transfer, but not without stopping in front of you, behind P, where all the servers genuflect at once. Here's the Formation:

Figure 2: Positions in the Missa Cantata including Thurifer in Preparation for the Gospel.

MC then completes the missal transfer while you with the acolytes transfer to the Gospel side of the altar, but the "long way" around, not the short way/V like the MC. You should end up like this:

Figure 3: Positions after Missal transfer of main servers.

Once all servers are in place, the MC walks down the steps of the Altar on the Gospel side and comes to the Th. Bow to the MC, and Th gives MC the thurible. MC will then take the censer to the right of P for the incensation of the Gospel.

Once the gospel is being read, the MC will give you back the thurible, though you might wait a bit longer if MC must bow to the altar cross at the Holy Name of Jesus in the first lines of the Gospel. Once MC gets to you as Th, bow to each other, take the Th in your right hand (it is blessed after all,) and remain in place with the acolytes until the end of the Gospel.

After, Th with acolytes go back to their places at the center as before the Gospel, and will genuflect with the P and MC (now at P's left side). You then retreat with the servers back to the credence area/epistle side, put the thurible back on the stand, and then take your seat.

2) In a Missa Solemnis

When P and D approach, once again Th is to open his thurible so incense can be placed in, after he or BB has given the boat to D. Th will once again hand over the thurible to D after this, and place the boat back on the credence table/stand if no BB is present. But, he must return to the side of the altar again, because he must reclaim his thurible for the Gospel.

Once the thurible is back into your hands, you will then get into position to depart for the Gospel. As Th, you will be on the left side, behind the SD, with the MC to your right when he appears. The Acolytes are behind you, and the clergy in front. This is what the Solemn Mass formation looks like, before departure:

Figure 4: Solemn High Mass positions for Gospel. (How to Serve ..., 77). Th is behind the subdeacon (1 stripe) in this diagram. 

You will then all turn inward, and proceed to the left side of the body of the Church, past the altar rails (if applicable), and will then stop at the Gospel spot at the left side of the deacon. 

Figure 5: Solemn High Mass positions at Reading of Gospel. 

Once there, the Deacon will incense the Gospel. You hand the thurible behind the deacon's back to the MC, who will hand it to the deacon. D incenses the gospel, and then you receive the thurible back from the MC behind D's back. After the Gospel is finished, you will turn around with the Deacon, and remain with him while the MC, acolytes, and subdeacon go back to their places. You will hand the Th to the deacon so that D will incense P on the altar. Both of you do a slight bow before and after incensing. You get the thurible back, then go with D back to your spots, genuflecting in the center of the altar. Th then goes back to his spot at the epistle side and returns the thurible to its stand, or the sacristy.


Sub-Role: Recharge Coals at The Homily

While you as Th do not play a role in the homily per se, you will be performing duties as thurifer, that is, to recharge your thurible with fresh heated coals for the next round of incensing.

While there is no hard and fast rule about when to do this, you should definitely NOT wait till the last minute, as appealing as a Latin Mass homily is. Usually, servers will either do this immediately after D incenses P (which will grant you the benefit of hearing most of the homily), or 1/3 to 1/2 way through the homily. 

In short, you put 1-2 new coals in the thurible, after heating them up, feed them oxygen, refill your boat with incense grains if needed, and then place the newly charged thurible on its stand. After you may return to your spot in the sanctuary.

Thurifer Role 3: The Offertory/Rallying the Torchbearers (Traditional Latin High Mass Illustrated by Pictures. 37-45; Ceremonial for the Missa Cantata, 38-44)

Before you are required, the acolytes will present to the Priest the water and the wine. At this time, while the acolytes present the gifts to P, you (and your BB if present,) will gather your items needed for incensing: thurible and boat. Make sure you hold the thurible in your left hand at this point (consider the incense unblessed again), and the boat in your right if there is no BB.

Once you have your items, you will line up behind the acolytes for your role at this part of the Mass, with MC to the right, and BB beside him in the center (or just the MC to your right if no BB is present). You will be to the left of the boat bearer/MC. Pay attention to your MC as he might cue you as to when to get your items. Once the Ac's are done with their gifts, you, (your BB) and the MC, will ascend to the side to do the third incensing in the Mass.

You and the MC (and BB) should ideally come to the side at the Veni Sanctificator prayer, though your MC may also cue you. Either the crucifer or an acolyte will move the Missal for you to allow incensing to occur.

1) In a Missa Cantata 
The MC takes the boat like before from the BB if present, or you give it to the MC with your right hand. You and the MC with P do the same procedure as in the preparation for the Gospel to have incense put into the thurible, and you hand over the thurible after to the MC. If present, BB will bow with you once the thurible is closed, and he retreats with the boat back to the credence table.

You as Th go now to the left of P as he incenses things at the offertory. While P incenses, you hold the edges of P's chausable. You will follow him where P goes, genuflecting as usual if you cross the center/tabernacle. Once P is finished, and P incenses the MC, MC will take the thurible and you go with him down the predella steps to the side. You both bow, and then MC will incense P. After, you turn toward the MC, bow with the head, and receive the thurible from him, where after you head bow and go to the foot of the altar.

At the center of the foot of the altar, both of you genuflect, and MC goes to the Gospel side where the Missal is now placed. He turns right and faced you, you both head bow to one another, and then you incense the MC with 1x double swing. Head bow to the MC (and he to you) after incensing. You then will begin to incense the other altar servers, and finally, the laity in a specific order (see below after 2) In a Missa Solemnis ...). You will always do a medium (shoulder) bow before and after incensing the person(s) and they, likewise also bow before and after.

2) In a Missa Solemnis
Like the Missa Cantata, you will line up (with the BB if present) behind the Ac's. Once they are finished, and possibly at your MC's cue, you will approach the altar with your thurible and the boat (possibly in BB's hands). If there's a boat bearer, he gives the boat to the deacon, else you must give it to D. The usual method of incensation occurs as before. If when the thurible is loaded there is a BB, he will take the boat back to the credence after you and Th bow with D after the preparation part. Else you will have to return the boat quickly and return to D's side.

Be warned, you might have to remove the missal while P incenses the altar. If you do not, you will stand at the epistle side and wait for P to complete incensing the altar. If you do move the missal, you go around the front of the altar steps, genuflect passing the center, and  then get to the Gospel side of the altar where the Missal is. Remove the Missal before P gets to your side, and wait at the side at the predella steps. Place it back after P moves away.

Regardless whether you move the missal or not, and place it back, you will then go to the left side of D when he is getting the thurible back from P. After incensing SD, D returns the thurible to you. Like with the Cantata, you will always do a medium (shoulder) bow before and after incensing the person(s) and they, likewise also bow before and after. You will then incense, in the same manner, with other clergy, and then servers, in the order as listed below.

For all incensing purposes, you will NOT have to incense the priest, priests in choir (or bishops present), or the subdeacon, as these are done by D with the thurible, or the MC in a Cantata. You will have to follow either the MC or D at his left though in the process, until it's your time to incense people.

For both Missa Cantata and Missa Solemnis (MS), AS THURIFER, Whom to incense and in what order:
1. MS - The Deacon - Two double swings, after D has returned near P and turned around to face you.
2. Both - The MC - One double swing
* 3. Both - The Acolytes - One double swing
* 4. Both -  Other "essential" servers - One double swing, first Gospel side, then Epistle Side (e.g. Torchbearers).
* 5. Both -  Servers "in choir" who are "not essential" - One double swing, first Gospel side, then Epistle Side (e.g. Torchbearers).

6. Both -  The Laity - One set of single swings, the center, the left/epistle side, then the right/Gospel side 

* If there are groups of servers together in the sanctuary, the thurifer can incense in an alternate way, where he: [makes] only one common bow of the head before and after, to each group of servers. If he incenses them collectively, it will be with three simple swings (toward the centre, to his left, to his right, p.50) (The Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described, 114). This is the same as when he incenses the laity.

Once you have finished incensing the laity, the torchbearers should then gather towards you (they may need to be cued), with odd numbered individuals on your right (1, 3, 5), and even numbered individuals on your left (2, 4, 6), coming out from the center to the farthest point away from you, like so:

Figure 6: Lineup of torchbearers and thurifer at Offertory post-incensing, to get torches [Edited to add Th in diagram] (Serving at Missa Cantata (The Torchbearers at Missa Cantata) [http://arthurcrumly.blogspot.ca/2010/07/serving-at-missa-cantata-torchbearers.html]

Note that this diagram has the left Tb as 1, though usually, the right is given preference in certain things with the Latin Mass. The numbering system can be arbitrary which side gets it, though usually the right side in serving is "First" (e.g. 2-server low mass. acolytes ....)

Once the Tbs are assembled around you in a straight line, then everyone is to make a single genuflection, both Tbs and Th. You might want to add a signal, such as using your left hand to firmly, but not brashly, beat your chest, to get everyone to bow at the same time. Another option might be to assign the first torchbearer this signalling responsibility, but having him clap with both hands which everyone should be able to hear.

In essence, Tb1 can be the "head torchbearer" (and as an opinion of this author, it could be a sub-rank or promotion for a server whose done the Mass a couple of times, but is not ready to be advanced further in rank.) This signal, however, AS ALWAYS WITH S.U.D., is not the final word, and should be up to your priest/MC/trainer. The signalling is an extra aid for the purposes of synchronization, and is NOT in the rubrics.

After the genuflection, if there are any priests in choir, you will do a moderate bow to them, to the side of greater dignity (e.g. If a mass has a bishop not at his "throne"/monsignor sitting in choir on the Epistle side, and an ordinary priest on the Gospel side, you bow first to the epistle, then the Gospel, sides). Th then leads the torchbearers in pairs, to the sacristy (or in some cases, the nave) to where their torches are stored. Your job is now the following:

• To ensure that the coals are still sufficient enough to burn incense in the thurible
• That enough smoke is burning still from the thurible. 
• To use new heated coals and/or replenish the incense in the thurible if it's "dead." (BB might help you with re-supplies if you have one)
• To assist the torchbearers with lighting their torches. Some might be small children, or they don't know how to light the torches. In addition, you only have a limited time, and ALL 6-8 must be lit. 
• To ensure that in time for the ringing of the Sanctus bells, the Tbs are ready, lined up, with torches in hand, to leave on YOUR cue outside their place. BB does not have to line up with you and the torches and can go back to his place in the sanctuary after assisting. 

Thurifer Role 4: The Sanctus - Consecration of the Gifts
Once you have lined up the torches in pairs and are ready (with BB), you then pay attention, waiting for the Sanctus bells to ring. It will be a triplet, three rings (ding-ling x 3). When you hear this, that is your cue, to lead the servers with you out to the foot of the altar.

You will line up like before you went into the sacristy/nave, with you in the center,  and the torches surrounding you. Th and the torches all genuflect together (you can have a signal in place again if need be,) and will bow to the epistle and gospel side choirs first if there are other clergy in them (though in order of rank, Gospel might be first with a higher ranking clergy/prelate). Otherwise, after the genuflection, Th will go to the lowest step of the predella on the epistle side. By the time everyone is kneeling, your formation should look something like this:

Figure 7: Lineup of torchbearers and thurifer (Th) at Offertory post-Sanctus, (Serving at Missa Cantata (The Torchbearers at Missa Cantata) [http://arthurcrumly.blogspot.ca/2010/07/serving-at-missa-cantata-torchbearers.html]

Missing from the picture is the BB, who, if present, kneels beside you with boat in hand to put in incense before the consecration of the Sacred Species. If there is no BB present, then the MC or an Acolyte will be the one to put the incense in.

Whether in the High Mass or Solemn Mass, the time to put the incense in is the Hanc Igitur. Here P puts his hands out flat over the Chalice, and an acolyte (Ac1 usually) will ring the bell once. Th and BB (or just Th, with MC/Acolyte helping out), will stand up in place, and incense will be put into the thurible. After, Th and BB immediately kneels again.

When each of the Sacred Species is elevated, you will swing the thurible three times, doing a double swing (6 swings total!). Before and after, you bow with P (a simple ring will occur at these bowing moments). Once your incensing of the Species is finished, you do a single genuflection , and then return the thurible to its stand/the sacristy, and return to your spot near the credence or choir pews.

While this has not happened with me, there might be no communion in a Mass. If this does happen, you go to the center of the altar, the Tbs get up, and all do a single genuflection, and leave.

Most of the time, you will have communion. As per usual, there will be a time when all the servers will gather at the front of the predella steps for communion. There are two possible spots I have encountered/marked in my notes where the torches will switch their position on the altar or steps, in order to make way for servers who will be lining up for communion.

1) After the ``Nobis quoque peccatoribus`` prayer (of which those exact words are said aloud), the priest will uncover the chalice and make 5 signs of the cross. After, he says ``Per omnia saecula saeculorim`` which you will reply, ``Amen.`` OR

2) After the priest consumes the Sacred Eucharist, and then says the "Sanguis Domini nostri ..." prayer and consumes the Precious Blood. This is the most commonly agreed upon time for servers to form the communion line, in most serving guides. 

At this point, whatever it is, the other servers will get up to line for communion. Where you line up will depend on what your MC/instructor suggests, though usually you will be paired, as always with BB. Your Formation should look something like this:

Figure 8: Lineup of torchbearers and thurifer (Th) at Offertory for Communion, (Serving at Missa Cantata (The Torchbearers at Missa Cantata) [http://arthurcrumly.blogspot.ca/2010/07/serving-at-missa-cantata-torchbearers.html]

You will say the (2nd) Confiteor with the other servers and also the "Domine non sum dignus." Memorize these two prayers since you will not have the benefit of the missal/prayer card/Ordo in front of you. Receive your communion on the tongue, and retreat. 

Should there be no additional processions or benediction in the Mass, the Th's role is essentially complete. All that is left is for him to lead the exit procession. 

Sub-Note: If Acolytes are ``Substitute`` Torchbearers to replace some, or the lack thereof (Ceremonies of the Roman Rite ..., 115)

Now, there might be an occasion where due to a shortage of servers, the acolytes will take the place of regular torchbearers at communion as ``substitutes.`` If this does happen, Th has additional roles. He will:

• Take the humeral veil from the Subdeacon at the words dimitte nobis in the Lord`s Prayer (Our Father/Pater Noster)
• After receiving pax from the MC or the person next to him at the Sign of Peace, he takes the chalice veil round to the Gospel side of the altar, then bring cruets to the altar for ablutions, takes them back afterwards to the credence and goes back to his place. 

Benediction/Procession for High/Solemn Mass Feasts (E.g. Corpus Christi, Christ the King)

Should there be a procession that occurs after, or just before the dismissal of the Mass, the Th will have additional roles and positions in the Mass as part of benediction/Eucharistic procession. Ideally two thurifers should be used, however one is suitable.

There will be an additional "refill" as it were, whereby at communion, Th will prepare his thurible (with help if needed from BB), to be ready and primed for the procession. If a BB is present, he refills the boat. Otherwise, Th does so. In addition, your BB might be recruited to hold an umbrellino, which is basically a fancy umbrella that goes overhead the Blessed Sacrament carried in the Monstrace by P.

When there is a Benediction with procession, there is no dismissal "Ite Missa Est", but instead "Benedicamus Domino," and no final Gospel or blessing after the Missal is closed.

Personally,  I have not had much experience with processions, and was not Th for them, so I can't comment much on them. However, I will leave you with a good source for the combined benediction/procession instructions from the Romanitas Press Website, here:

http://www.romanitaspress.com/rubrics_guides/seasonal/corpus_christi_2013.pdf

When I was part of a procession last time, I was Boatbearer, and thus got to carry the umbrellino. From my first religious notebook/serving notebook, this was a diagram I jotted down of our formation, just before we left the altar:

 Figure 9: Lineup of inferior ministers and priest for Benediction/Eucharistic Procession from Christ the King Mass 2012 with St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir

CONCLUSION

So ends the posting on the Thurifer. Hopefully there will be more additions to this post in future. This was a major undertaking, being a major position, and in addition I found that not only did I have to do the basics, but how to do it for both High and Solemn Masses, increasing my time. 

Thurifer is a more senior, and enjoyable position for a server, having to deal with fire and a heavy metal object that spews smoke. However, it is not an easy one, requiring practice with the instrument, and some reasonable experience with the Latin Mass. 

Completed June 17, 2014.

Works Cited

Britt, Dom. Matthew. How to Serve in Simple, Solemn, and Pontifical Functions. 3rd ed. Tan Books and Publishers: U.S.A. 2008.

Carmody, Father Charles J. Learning to Serve A Guide for Altar Boys. Roman Catholic Books: Fort Collins, CO, U.S.A. 1961.

Crumly, A. Serving at Missa Cantata (The Torchbearers at Missa Cantata). The Blog of Arthur Crumly. Retrieved 13 June 2014 <http://arthurcrumly.blogspot.ca/2010/07/serving-at-missa-cantata-torchbearers.html>.

Fortescue, A., O'Connell, J.B., and Reid, A. The Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described. Fifteenth Edition. Burn & Oates: London, U.K. 2009.

Haynes, Scott A. Ceremonial for the Missa Cantata Pirest-Master of Ceremonies-Altar Boys. Biretta Books: Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. 2009.

Haynes, Scott A. Traditional Latin High Mass Illustrated by Pictures. Biretta Books: Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. 2009.

Pope, C. The Mass in Slow Motion - The Incensing of the Altar. The Archdiocese of Washington. Online. Created April 25, 2013. [http://blog.adw.org/2009/04/the-mass-in-slow-motion-the-incensing-of-the-altar/]. Retrieved 23 Oct 2013.

Pope, C. The Mass in Slow Motion - The Incensing of the Gifts. The Archdiocese of Washington. Online. Created August 1, 2013. [http://blog.adw.org/2009/08/the-mass-in-slow-motion-the-incensation-of-the-gifts/]. Retrieved 23 Oct 2013.

Tofari, J. The Electric Burner: A Thurifer's Best Friend. Romanitas Press. Online. [http://www.romanitaspress.com/articles/electric_burner.htm]. Retrieved June 17, 2014.