On Sunday November 15, 2009 at 1:00 PM there will be a Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. This is the new and now official way to refer to th
e Mass as celebrated according to the 1962 liturgical books, or before the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. It will be celebrated by the Fraternity of St. Peter, a priestly society strictly devoted to celebrating this form of the Mass. While older persons among us may remember this form of the Mass they may also believe that it was no longer to be celebrated with the promulgation of the new Mass (Novus Ordo) of Vatican II. This was never the case, although permission for its celebration was strictly regulated. With the 2007 Motu Proprio (a document issued on the initiative of the pope and with the full weight of his authority) Summorum Pontificum, Pope Benedict XVI allowed greater celebration of this ancient celebration of the Roman Rite. Pope Benedict XVI labeled this form of the Mass as the Extraordinary Form of The Roman Rite in order to differentiate it from the celebration of Mass that most are familiar with today, what is now officially called the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite. Both forms are equal in standing in the life of the Church. Any priest can celebrate according to the Extraordinary Form and any group of the faithful who legitimately asks for this form of the Mass should be granted it if at all possible. The purpose of this Motu Proprio is not to impose this form of the Mass on those who do not want it but to make it available to those who desire it and to possibly expose others to its riches. It is in this spirit that this form of the Mass is being offered. The pope has said that he hopes that both forms of the Mass can enrich each other. In order to understand our liturgical tradition and inform our celebration of the Ordinary Form we must be shaped by what has gone before us. This is important to point out since some may perceive the return of more traditional practices in the celebration of the liturgy as going backwards. Oftentimes, this has been due to the fact that many persons may have had a misunderstanding of the liturgy and/or been poorly formed, often through no fault of their own. It must be remembered that many practices that have either developed in the life of the Church or were omitted were at worst not permitted or at least not encouraged. The return of many of these traditional liturgical practices is something which has always been a part of the Church, either required or permitted, and should be seen more positively as a retrieval of riches rather than negatively as going backward. Hopefully, this celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite will help people to appreciate the richness of our liturgical tradition and how this can help us to move forward according to the intention of the Second Vatican Council. The Mass will be followed by a reception in order to meet Fr. Joseph Portzer and the seminarians of the Fraternity of St. Peter who have generously given of their time and talents to come from Denton, Nebraska for this celebration. Any one who would like to provide a donation to Fr. Portzer and the seminarians please contact Mary at the parish office.
