Tuesday, June 30, 2009

A Message from the Organizing Committee

Dear Friends,

I have a short announcement.

During today’s meeting, Fr. Grato announced that he was discontinuing the TLM at St. Jerome effective immediately. He did not mention anything about the controversy regarding communion in the hand, although I believe this is a contributing factor in his decision. Fr. Grato said he felt that TLM St. Jerome was like a “church within a church.” He expressed unhappiness with the present situation. He further said that he will be writing to the bishop to explain his action. He advised us to seek out other parishes in the diocese that may be willing to accommodate a regular celebration of the EF Mass.

Unless Bishop Mercado persuades Fr. Grato otherwise, this marks the end of my involvement with St. Jerome. This also highlights the importance of establishing a personal parish staffed by priests who will exclusively serve the needs of the TLM faithful, where Catholics attached to the TLM will truly feel at home and not be treated as second-class citizens who have to make way for Novus Ordo Masses. Having committed time and resources to TLM St. Jerome and seeing how quickly it evaporated, I am convinced that a TLM St. Jerome-type arrangement in other parishes in the diocese, although possible, is a short-term fix that will not fully address the needs of the TLM faithful and may in fact suffer the same fate of TLM St. Jerome. This type of arrangement surely cannot be our goal.

I am presently considering several options, as others are, and in due course will take the appropriate action. In the meantime I ask for everyone’s prayers. Let us pray that the EF Mass will one day find a permanent home in the diocese of Paranaque.

Sts. Peter and Paul, pray for us!


RICHARD M. FRIEND
Chairman, Organizing Committee
Traditional Latin Mass St. Jerome Emiliani

6 comments:

Sasha said...

O my I'm so sad. Piling-pili lang ang mga parish na nagse-celebrate ng TLM, nabawasan pa. I've never been to St. Jerome in Paranaque, but still I feel so sad. I'm from Manila at ang pinupuntahan ko pang simbahan para sa TLM ay sa Divine Mercy sa Sikatuna pa. Super layo. I'm so sad. I will pray for your request. They say that TLM is just for the oldies but hey I'm a youngster and I so love TLM.

By the way, pano na ngayon yan hindi na ako makaka-order ng missal? I tried calling the number posted here in your blog but nobody's answering naman e. Bago pa lang ako sa TLM at I'm actually trying to renew my Catholic faith by re-discovering its tradition and roots (I was a rabid atheist then). Pero nahihirapan at nahihiya akong makisabay kasi nga di ako familiar sa litrugy. Di pa ako makapag-simba uli sa Sikatuna kasi nga wala akong missal so pano na ngayon yan? Can you contact me at 09152309705 kung puwede pa ako maka-order? Ang mahal naman kasi nung nasa St. Paul's tapos hindi pa ako sure kung yun nga yung tamang missal baka novus ordo mass lang yun in latin.

Tsaka what do you think would be your other option? I'm really praying for you. Make a prayer novena to St. Rita - she's the patroness of the impossible and the hopeless. Isasama ko ang inyong request sa aking petition sa daily novena ko sa kanya.

Ivan Phell Enrile

Merci Suleik said...

Hello, dear Friends of TLM

This is sad news. When I went to noon Mass yesterday at St. Jerome, there was still a sign posted about the 9:30 AM TLM Sunday Mass, as well as 7:00AM on first Fridays and special holy days. Is this therefore no longer true?

Merci Suleik

Anonymous said...

Summorum Pontificum states flatly that the old form of the Mass, the 1962 Missal, was never abrogated. Implicitly the Pope is recognizing that many faithful Catholics have suffered a grave injustice, since they were told that the old form of the liturgy was now forbidden.

With his new norms Pope Benedict recognizes that many bishops have not allowed the “wide and generous” access to the old form that his predecessor had encouraged. Citing St. Paul’s words to the Corinthians (2 Cor 6), the Pope now exhorts all bishops: “Let us generously open our hearts and make room for everything that the faith itself allows.”

But Pope Benedict goes beyond exhortation, and establishes the rights of the faithful in terms of canon law. Every priest has the right to use the “extraordinary form,” and needs no further permission. Wherever a “stable group” of parishioners asks for the old Mass, their pastor should “willingly accept” their request, the Pope adds.

If the faithful do not have access to the “extraordinary form,” because of particular circumstances in their parishes, Pope Benedict says that they should approach the bishop. And if their bishop does not satisfy their request, he invites them to bring their problem to the Vatican’s Ecclesia Dei commission—where, one assumes, they will find a sympathetic hearing.

The Pope stipulates that the “extraordinary form” of the Mass should be celebrated using the Roman Missal of 1962-- that is, in accordance with the old liturgical calendar. He does suggest that the readings from Scripture could be done in the vernacular. Otherwise he makes no change in the old liturgy.

Merci Suleik said...

Indeed, there was an issue of Documentation Service which devoted itself to the topic of the Traditional Latin Mass. I hope that those of us who love it will find an appropriate and generous venue...well, of course my wish which is personal, is really for it to be in Parañaque.

Anonymous said...

A typical response to the present scenario is that special parishes should be established, dedicated solely to offering the Traditional Mass and Sacraments, and staffed exclusively by priests from Traditional orders like the Fraternity, or the Institute of Christ the King. Obviously the bishops are not willing to have them in their dioceses, or these orders would be setting up shop all over the place by now. And while no one admits it, this would appear to be a more convenient alternative.

It’s a great idea, but it won’t happen tomorrow. And lest we forget, we’re usually talking about starting a new parish in an area which may already have enough, if not too many. An enormous amount of financial and human resources are involved in the transaction. Sufficient compensation for the order administering the parish must be negotiated. With any luck, a suitable parish in the inner city that is nearly abandoned but still serviceable, would be available for a Traditional order to take over. Maybe a few generous benefactors will step forward. It can happen, but this or something like it is what probably has to happen.

In the meantime, the Holy Father does not wish the Traditional Mass to be the exclusive domain of specially-created parishes, but ultimately be a component of the worship life of all Roman Rite parishes. In the larger context, he envisions the Traditional Mass as the spearhead of the eventual counter-reform of the Roman Rite, whatever set of books is used.

Anonymous said...

I am so sad for the decission of that priest he should be informed of the real content of the motu propio of the HOLY FATHER. I am young I am 31, i think young to be called old ones in the tridentine rite, i am born in the novus ordus but i LOVE the tridentine rite. it is very reverential. I am a seminarian and i hope i will be able to get a permission from my superiors to study the TLM. As of now it seems impossible there is only one priest who seems to agree with me and he is now assigned in other community and does not have power to decide for me. Please pray for me. thank you.