
The Mass is something that exists in itself, to which we conform ourselves, so that we can more perfectly unite with God. The Mass is not a bunch of jumbled elements that we put together or we construct in order to make something that is meaningful to us. Can we honestly say that the result of this has deepened their appreciation for what's going on? When pollsters tell us that 80% of Catholics under the age of 59 have a non-Catholic idea of what the Blessed Sacrament is, the whole communication thing may not be so successful. Today, Mass is most often celebrated in the world where people can see everything that is going on and understand everything that's said. Of course, the primary objection that's most often offered to it is "Why would you want to celebrate the Mass in a language that people don't understand?" But that makes the assumption that the relationship of people to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is primarily one of comprehension that the Mass is a piece of information to be learned and understood. The whole notion of Christ's sacrifice is the central point of the Mass. ZENIT: Why do you feel that following the traditional Roman rite is vital to "re-Christianizing" our world?įather Goodwin: The Traditional Mass is a very important element in the re-Christianization of the world because it so clearly and fully embodies the faith of the Church. That's what brought me to the Fraternity of St. I thought, "If God has led me in this direction, then I should take responsibility for this grace." Rather than wishing that everything around me would change, I'm the one who has to change. Peter came to do a lecture on the traditional Mass and he district house in Pennsylvania. One of the priests of the Fraternity of St. After a while, I began to realize that my whole spiritual life as a priest was centered on this Mass.

I was saying the Traditional Mass more and the newer form of the mass, less. 16, 1991, the Diocese of Portland celebrated its first Traditional Mass in about 20 years.
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My own spiritual director taught me how to do it over one weekend. Of course, I had to learn how to say the Traditional Mass. At the end of the letter was written, "The bishop is wondering if you would be willing to do something on an ad hoc basis for some of these people." So I called and told him I'm willing to do whatever the bishop wants me to do. I stuck a little note on the letter that said "I'm sure your Excellency will do whatever you can for this gentleman," and I mailed it.Ībout 6 months later, I received a letter from the chancellor of the diocese, explaining why they didn't have the Latin Mass. The gentleman said to me, "I guess I have to resign myself to dying without having access to the old Mass." One day, an elderly gentleman who had been asking for permission for a in the Diocese of Portland, Maine, received a letter from the bishop, explaining why they did not offer the traditional Mass. I don't think I could really say that I knew in a conscious way, but something in me knew that, after this, my life was going to be different. I was a member of a large religious community for a number of years when I stumbled upon a church where Mass was being celebrated. As to what drew me to the fraternity, it wasn't my idea it was God. It really is at the heart of our vocation. Could you explain what drew you to this traditional priestly fraternity?įather Goodwin: We are a community completely gathered around the Church's traditional liturgy. Peter is a relatively new entity - established in 1988 - that has as one of its characteristics the sole use of the liturgy of 1962. This relatively new society of priests - founded in 1988 - has garnered the attention of, not only those who seek to go back to the Latin Mass, but also those who want to share in the beauty, the reverence and the piety of the traditional Latin Mass for the first time. Peter, a growing community of priests that are devoted to celebrating the extraordinary form of the Mass.Īs many religious orders are desperately praying for vocations, this community has young men waiting to get into their seminary program at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton.

Today, Latin references are completely foreign to some, and lingering memories to others.īut then there are those who are dedicated to keeping the Latin liturgy alive, and included in this group is the Priestly Fraternity of St. Since the Second Vatican Council, Catholics have been attending Mass said in their native tongue. Promoting Worship With the Traditional Mass
