Pentecost Missa Cantata

To-day, for our Latin Mass in Hobart, we were back where it all began, at Sacred Heart, New Town, where Fr (now Bp) Jarrett began the monthly Missæ cantatæ in the nineties. It was my parish at the time, and I have fond memories of my time there.

I remember "catching the bug" of the Traditional Latin Mass at Sacred Heart, when on the first Sunday of November in 1994 he celebrated the first "Extraordinary Form" Mass, with the choir singing Byrd's Mass for three voices; and when, exactly a year later, he sang High Mass (with Frs Oppenheimer and Parsons assisting), the choir rendering Victoria's Mass O quam gloriosum.

In February 1996, this time with yours truly in the choir, singing a far more modest all-Gregorian repertoire, Fr Jarrett began regular first Sunday sung Masses. He continued for five years, until he was promoted to Bishop of Lismore; I sang with the choir until I moved to Melbourne in 1999.

Fr John Wall, then based at St Canice in Lower Sandy Bay, took over the celebration of the first Sunday sung Masses until his untimely death; since then, for the last decade, the much-loved Fr Gerard Quinn, CP (easily the hardest working, humblest and holiest priest of the Archdiocese), has done so.

I returned to Tasmania five years ago, first resuming singing in the choir, and then promoting myself (completely untrained) to M.C., as it seemed to help expedite matters. And since February this year – with all thanks going to His Grace for blessing our endeavours – we have had Latin Mass at least twice a month, including the full Easter Triduum for the first time.  I have grown used to forever driving to and from Hobart!

Repairs to the roof at St Canice made us decide to move some of the June and July Masses to New Town. To-day, we had a visiting priest as celebrant: Fr Suresh from Tamworth. His visit we pray will prove fruitful; he certainly sings Mass with great care and attention (during the chanting of the Alleluia verses I suddenly realised he was singing along from memory), and is a great preacher, too.

Just as in the nineties, we had a community "pot-luck" lunch afterwards – I kept on expecting Fr Jarrett to walk into the parish centre and chat happily with us all, beneath the great painting of the Sacred Heart that hangs in pride of place. It was a marvellous occasion and made me realise how well set out Sacred Heart is for our needs: the church is a good size, very well appointed and cared for, with room outdoors for children to play afterwards and a place for all to meet and eat in the parish centre.

It was great to chat with the sacristan, too, whom I hadn't seen for years. It always was a most welcoming and Catholic parish, and evidently maintains that spirit, even if now part of the Cathedral parish; again, how kind of His Grace to allow us to use the church and facilities.

Winter remains curiously warm and sunny; it was lovely driving home this afternoon.

Next Sunday, Trinity Sunday the 15th of June, a sung Traditional Latin Mass will again be celebrated at 10:30 am at Sacred Heart, New Town. (I will be in Melbourne; I daresay all will go well.)

The next Mass after that, the "traditional" first Sunday Missa cantata, will be at St Canice at 11:30 am as usual; but on the following two Sundays, the 13th and 20th of July, Latin Mass will again be sung at Sacred Heart at 10:30 am.

With all this shuttling to and fro for Mass, I must admit to feeling relief at the prospect of the last two Sundays in June at home without having to drive three hours each way...

Latin Mass in Hobart

Owing to the exceeding charity of His Grace, who apparently hasn't heard of Summorum Pontificum, or rather takes his instructions from other sources, despite many petitions addressed him by the exasperated faithful, here in Tasmania there is but one Latin Mass, in Hobart, once a month, on the first Sunday, at the chapel of St Canice, in Lower Sandy Bay, at 11.30 am.

(See Tassie Traddies for some details.)

Therefore, thanks to our soon-to-retire Ordinary, ever brimful of pastoral solicitude for his scattered flock, I have some driving to do to-morrow: I'll go to the Missa Cantata, then visit friends, stay the night at the Grand Chancellor (a spot of luxury at least), then attend a course to do with my employment on Monday, before driving back in the late afternoon.

Since Thursday is Royal Launceston Show Day, a public holiday, I therefore have an agreeably abbreviated work-week: only three days! At least there's some relief in that.

Trinity Sunday Mass

Yesterday I heard Mass at St Canice, with about 60 others including choir and servers; Fr Quinn reflected on the wonder that even the tiniest new-baptized child is sharer in the Divine Life of the Trinity: such the goodness and prodigality of God!  The choir was boosted by Steven Smyth from Sydney, who also played the organ with aplomb; we sang Missa XI (Orbis factor) and Credo I, while the Proper was well-executed.  Mass took a little over an hour, beginning a little after 11.30 am as Father heard confessions beforehand.

Here are some photographs I took before and after Mass (I felt uncomfortable taking pictures during the Dread Sacrifice):

(The original high altar being readied for Mass; note the atypically handsome fixed freestanding altar later installed in front of it.)

(The big six are lit; it's time to Introibo... note the side altars, Our Lady's being used as the credence, and the high ambo with its brass eagle readied for preaching...)

(The servers walk a little fast for Father!)

(My view of the priest and his ministers genuflecting upon their arrival at the altar step.)

Onward Christian Soldiers

Since I will be returning to live and work in Tasmania at the end of this year, I feel I must play my part in gaining a weekly Sunday Latin Mass there in Hobart, where for well over a decade there has been Mass - nearly always a Missa cantata, sung by the schola I used to belong to - in the Extraordinary Form on the 1st Sunday of each month, firstly under Fr Jarrett (now Bishop of Lismore, N.S.W.) at his parish church of Sacred Heart, New Town, and latterly at St Canice, Lower Sandy Bay, with the generous assistance of Fr Gerald Quinn, C.P.  So far as I understand, there is certainly a "stable group" of at least 80 to 100 people who attend it; the Archdiocese has manpower problems, so to speak, with a lack of priests, but with the expanding FSSP apostolate in Australia one would think that the last State capital to be without a weekly Tridentine Mass could soon be delivered from that status.

"Work as if all depends on oneself, pray as if all depends on God" (St Ignatius Loyola): to this end, here is the prayer I have penned to St Patrick, Patron of the Archdiocese of Hobart, and to St Canice, whose church it is where the Mass is now held; the prayers may be said in their entirety, or the central prayer to God through the intercession of St Patrick (in larger type) may be used alone for more brevity:

Perpetual Prayer 

to St Patrick, Patron of the Archdiocese of Hobart, 

& St Canice

(for Obtaining Mass in the Extraordinary Form every Sunday)

Great Apostle of Ireland, Holy Pontiff, glorious Confessor, man of God, choice vessel of the Holy Ghost, blessed Patrick, thou venerable ambassador of God and indefatigable preacher of His Word: who by a prodigy of the Most High didst convert the Irish heathen from the darkness of paganism to the light of the Gospel, so confirming their hearts in holiness that down all the ages thy disciples have ever remained steadfast children of Rome, loyal to Christ's Church and His Vicar on earth despite every trial: be thou attentive to our humble prayer; win for us, most beloved Saint and Patron of our Isle also, a like grace to that of thy children of old; and as thou didst bring unto Ireland the True Faith, obtain for us of the Most Holy Trinity never to depart from it; and as thou didst by Divine power drive forth from Ireland all manner of venomous serpents, so now manifest unto us the Divine mercy, that our hearts may be turned to the Lord and delivered from all vice and corruption. By thine uncountable suffrages and merits, gain for us patience, resignation, charitable zeal, dauntless courage in adversity, and all virtues needful that we may save our souls; by thy potent intercession, beg the Lord to send us that which we implore, if it be for His honour and our salvation, and in the manner that He shall most benignly decide.

V/. Pray for us, blessed Patrick.

R/. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

Through the prayers of St Patrick, Thy Bishop and Confessor, we entreat Thy Divine Majesty, that Thou mayest permit us to worship and adore Thee according to the Traditional Latin Rite of the Holy Roman Church, on all Sundays and Holy Days:

May this clean oblation be acceptable unto Thee, O Lord of hosts, which, through the labours of blessed Patrick, from the rising to the setting of the sun, shall be offered unto Thy great Name among the nations, as Thou hast willed. Through Christ our Lord. R/. Amen. 

[Secret of the Mass of St Patrick*]

We thy poor clients turn likewise in trust and hope toward thee, good St Canice, thou man of virtue, eloquence and learning, wise in the ways of God, zealous preacher, holy priest, dauntless missionary, gracefilled abbot, devoted to the Gospel in word and deed, one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland: intercede for us, be our mediator with Christ, pray that our cause may be just and acceptable unto the Lord, that He may deign to give us our heart's desire – to worship and adore Him according to the liturgy of our fathers.

V/. Pray for us, blessed Canice.

R/. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

God Almighty, Whose service is the highest and fullest joy: grant, we beseech Thee, that following the example of blessed Canice, and being subject to one another in the fear of Christ as obedient sons, we may freely and lovingly serve Thee in holiness and righteousness. Through the same Christ our Lord. R/. Amen.  

[Collect of St Canice†]

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* Acceptabilis tibi sit, Domine exercituum, hæc oblatio munda; quam per beati Patricii labores, ab ortu solis usque ad occasum, magno nomini tuo in gentibus offerri voluisti. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. R/. Amen.

† Deus omnipotens, cujus servitus summa et plena felicitas: præsta, quæsumus; ut beati Canici imitatione, subjecti invicem in timore Christi quasi filii obedientiæ, libera tibi caritate in sanctitate et justitia serviamus. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. R/. Amen.