Winter Workshop for Priests a Success 

From February 9 to13, 2009, priests from diverse parts of the United States and Canada studied the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (1962 Missale Romanum) under the direction of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius. Two classes were offered, one for beginners, learning the ceremony and rubrics of Missa Lecta (Low Mass) for the first time, and an advanced class for those studying the Missa Cantata (High Mass).

The priests studying the Traditional Latin Mass for the very first time this week were able to offer Low Mass before the close of the study week. The priests studying the art of celebrating the Missa Cantata were able to sing the High Mass by the middle of the study week.

On Wednesday evening one of the students studying High Mass, Fr. John Ubel, Pastor of St. Agnes Church in St. Paul, MN, offered the Missa Cantata with incense. As Fr. Anthony J. Rice, S.J.C. directed the music for the Extraordinary Form High Mass in Honor of Our Lady of Lourdes, the other priests served the various positions of High Mass, such as thurifer, crucifer, acolyte, etc. having been trained earlier that day by Br. Robert Brajkovich, S.J.C.

As the students concentrating on Low Mass gained competency to offer the Missa Lecta, priests began offering the Low Mass at the various private altars in the Oratory of the lower level of the Strtich House. The priests were eager to serve Mass for one another so that they might return to their parishes and train their altar boys to do the same. Fr. James Richardson of the St. Philip Neri House in Kalamazoo, MI, offered his first Low Masses by the end of the week, as did Fr. Daniel J. Becker of the Worchester, MA Dicoese, and Fr. Ahn of the Archdiocese of Toronto, Ontario.

Additional Masses were sung each day during the second half of the week as the priests learned to offer and serve the simple form of High Mass without incense and then the more ornate form of the Missa Cantata with incense.

Fr. Peter Mangum, Rector of St. John Berchmans' Cathedral in Shreveport, LA, sang his first Missa Cantata on Wednesday morning, having studied the tones for the Gospel, Epistle, Collects and the Preface. On Thursday he offered the High Mass with incense for the Feast of the Seven Founders of the Servites.

The Most Rev. Thomas Paprocki, Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago, visited the priests studying the Extraordinary Form under the direction of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius. He congratulated the priests on their dedication and faithfulness to the Church and encouraged them to implement what they learn in their parishes.

Talks were given on the importance of sacred music in the Traditional Latin Mass. The use of Gregorian Chant, Sacred Polyphony, and organ music were discussed. The rubrics of liturgical music as it applies to the priest, the choir and the people were explained. The students in the Low Mass course also were introduced to the musical role of the priest in the Missa Cantata, being introduced to the singing of the various parts of Mass and learning the rules of chanting these beautiful prayers.

Talks were given on the proper understanding of active participation of the faithful in the Liturgy, the Mystical Theology and Ceremonies of the Mass and the Extraordinary Form in parish life today.

Demonstration of the rubrics of Low Mass included Mass with one server, two servers and Low Mass without a server. On the last day of the workshop priests were also introduced to the Rite of Baptism (1962 Rituale Romanum).

The students in the High Mass class studied also Ember Days, Rogation Days, and more. Question and answer sessions addressed questions about the Roman Breviary of 1962, pastoral application of the Traditional Latin Mass in parish life and more.