Gaylord, MI 49735 News & Press Releases
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Diocese to offer Extraordinary Form of Mass beginning May 11
April 30, 2008
Bishop Patrick R. Cooney has announced that the extraordinary form of the Mass will be offered publicly beginning on Pentecost, May 11, 2008. Fr. Donald Libby will be the presider for a weekly celebration of the Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal, often referred to as “the Latin Mass.” The Mass will be offered at Holy Rosary Church in Cedar on Sundays at 12:45 p.m. unless Fr. Libby is away or unavailable. Fr. Libby is currently the only priest qualified to offer the Mass publicly in the Diocese of Gaylord.
In July 2007, Pope Benedict XVI issued his Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum regarding the use of the Latin-language liturgy that predates the Second Vatican Council. The Mass from the post-Vatican II Roman Missal remains the ordinary form of the Mass, while Mass according to the 1962 Missal is the extraordinary form.
“There were some logistical things to work out to make this possible – including being sure we had a priest prepared to properly celebrate this Mass,” said Bishop Cooney. “I believe the Holy Father’s intention is to try to bring healing to those who have felt hurt because of their devotion to this earlier form of the liturgy.”
The major differences between the ordinary and extraordinary forms of Mass individuals will notice are the priest’s orientation during the liturgy and the use of Latin.
Prior to the Second Vatican Council, a church’s altar was placed against the wall at the back of the sanctuary. The Second Vatican Council decreed that a church’s altar should be placed in a central location in the sanctuary, allowing a priest to face the congregation. (GIRM, 2002, paragraphs 299-301)
Some other differences include the role of altar servers, the liturgical calendar, what Scriptures are proclaimed, and possibly the vestments worn. In the extraordinary form, Communion is distributed only under the species of Consecrated Bread, usually at a communion rail.
A few months ago, Fr. Duane Wachowiak, Director of the Secretariat for Worship and Liturgical Formation, arranged for a priest from Chicago who is trained in Latin and the extraordinary form of Mass to come to the area for five days to train priests who wished to celebrate this Mass publicly.
“Dioceses throughout the country were faced with the same dilemma,” said Fr. Wachowiak. “Not many of us ministering now are skilled in Latin and in this form of the Mass. The focus of these trainings being offered nationwide is to certify that those offering the Mass publicly know Latin, the rubrics of the Mass and are able to “pray” the Mass and not simply recite the Latin words.”
“It is important that whoever offers this Mass knows what it is he is saying and praying,” noted Bishop Cooney.
Any priest may celebrate the extraordinary form of Mass in private, even with others in attendance, but that is his private Mass. Times of private Masses are not announced. The Mass being offered at Cedar starting on Pentecost will be a public Mass and may be announced through bulletins and other means that it is available for those who wish to attend.
Along with the announcement of the availability of the Mass, a set of guidelines was published by Bishop Cooney. Some of the entries in the norms for this diocese remind the people who attend that they have the obligation to be registered and participating parishioners in a Roman Catholic parish, either Holy Rosary or another.
Another norm is that the extraordinary form is to be offered in addition to the ordinary form of Mass celebrated in the parish because the post-Vatican II form of Mass is still the one that takes precedence. In this context, the term “extraordinary” is meant to mean “other” rather than to place it as being of higher rank.
“Regardless of which form is being used, it must follow the guidelines for that particular Missal,” added Fr. Wachowiak. “A priest cannot use some of one and some of the other in a single Mass. He has to follow either the ordinary or extraordinary form.”
In addition, procedures for the financial aspects are also addressed in the norms. For example, an individual attending the extraordinary form of the Mass in Cedar may deposit their own parish envelope in the collection and it is to be forwarded to the respective parish. Any loose collection will be channeled through Holy Rosary’s bookkeeping system as it is the parish of Holy Rosary who pays the priest’s salary and benefits and maintains the building to hold the Mass.
The complete set of norms may be viewed on this website in the Worship and Liturgical Formation area.
“While I was attending the training held for Fr. Libby, I was able to see the many connections between the ordinary and the extraordinary forms of Mass,” stated Fr. Wachowiak. “I was able to better understand some of the terms and phrases used by many older folks who grew up attending the Mass that began with the Council of Trent.”
Fr. Michael Janowski remains pastor of Holy Rosary along with St. Mary, Lake Leelanau, St. Phillip Neri, Empire and St. Rita-St. Joseph, Maple City, and Fr. Libby remains associate pastor of the same parishes. Fr. Janowski is supportive of both Fr. Libby’s willingness to serve the diocese in this capacity as well as those who wish to attend the Mass.
For more information, please contact Fr. Duane Wachowiak at the diocese at 989.732.5147.
