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Catechesis, News

Corpus Christi Observed in Solemn High Mass, and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament

The Feast of the Most Sacred Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, or Corpus Christi, will be celebrated in a Solemn High Mass in the traditional Latin form at St. Stanislaus Church, State Street at Eld Street in New Haven, on Sunday, June 19, at 2:00 pm. The Mass will be followed by a Procession and Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament. The celebrant for the service will be The Reverend Peter Lenox, Episcopal Vicar for Liturgy and Worship, the Diocese of Bridgeport, and the deacon will be The Rev. Robert Turner, Pastor of St. Ambrose Parish, North Branford.

The origins of the Feast of Corpus Christi date from the early 13th century when St. Juliana of Mont-Cornillon urged the French hierarchy to establish a feast celebrating the Real presence of the Body and Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ in the elements of Eucharist. In 1268 Pope Urban IV instituted the feast of Corpus Christi universally in the Western Church. The pope requested that St. Thomas Aquinas compose the texts for the liturgy of feast, which include the propers sung at Mass, notably the sequence Lauda Sion, as well as the chants sung in the procession and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

The Benediction that concludes the service is the supreme devotional ceremony of adoration of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, in which prayers and hymns are addressed to Our Lord in the Host exposed in a monstrance placed on the altar. The concludes with the reposition of the Sacrament in the tabernacle.

Music for the service, performed by members of the Schola Cantorum of The Saint Gregory Society, will include the Gregorian Mass Ordinary XI, “Orbis factor,” motets by Ludovico da Viadana and Jean-Baptiste François Lallouette, the proper Gregorian chants, and organ music by Girolamo Frescobaldi and Claudio Merulo.

 

 

Catechesis, Pentecost

TLM for Pentecost Sunday

The feast of Pentecost, or Whitsunday, will be observed ed in a Solemn High Mass in the traditional Latin form at St. Stanislaus Church, State Street at Eld Street in New Haven, on Sunday, June 5, at 2:00 pm. The celebrant will be The Reverend Peter Lenox, Episcopal Vicar for Liturgy and Worship, the Diocese of Bridgeport; the deacon will be The Reverend Robert L. Turner, Pastor of St. Ambrose Parish, North Branford; and the subdeacon will be Mr. William V. Riccio, Jr.

Pentecost is celebrated on the 50th day (the seventh Sunday) after Easter Sunday. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks, as described in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:1-31).

We read in the Gospel at the Mass on this great feast that our Lord foretold the coming of the Paraclete to his disciples, and the Epistle shows us the realization of that promise.  God descended upon the Cenacle, and a mighty wind which blew suddenly upon the house, together with the appearance of tongues of fire within, were the wonderful tokens of His coming.

Taught by the “Light of Thy Holy Ghost” (Collect at Mass) and filled by the gifts of the same Spirit poured out upon them (Sequence), the apostles became new men to go forth and renew the whole world (Introit). In the words of the Alleluia: “Come Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Thy love,” let us fervently pray that the Holy Ghost will come down upon us.

Music for the service, sung by members of the Schola Cantorum of the Saint Gregory Society, will include the Gregorian Mass Ordinary I, “Lux et origo,” motets by Claudio Monteverdi and Guillaume Dufay, the proper Gregorian chants, and organ music by Jacques Boyvin and Eugène Gigout.

 

 

 

 

Easter, News

Solemn High Mass for the Fifth Sunday after Easter

The Fifth Sunday after Easter will be celebrated in a Solemn High Mass in the traditional Latin form at St. Stanislaus Church, State Street at Eld Street, in New Haven on Sunday, May 22, at 2:00 pm. The celebrant will be The Reverend Richard G. Cipolla, Pastor Emeritus of St. Mary’s Church, Norwalk; the Deacon will be The Reverend Peter Lenox, Director of Liturgy, the Diocese of Bridgeport; and the Subdeacon will be Mr. James Onofrio.

The proper texts of the liturgy for this Sunday’s Mass continue to sing of Christ’s victory and of the salvation of Christian people whom He has redeemed. During the Rogation Days that follow, the Church exhorts us to pray in “His name” and ask for what is necessary for us, salvation first and foremost; these prayers will unfailingly be granted us “that our joy may be full.”

We must ask, too, that we may be worthy to enter with Him into His Father’s kingdom, while acknowledging that prayer that is sincere implies generosity: St. Jame’s Epistle reminds us that it is not enough merely to pray; we must also be “doers of the Word.”

Music for the service, sung by the Schola Cantorum of The Saint Gregory Society, will include the Gregorian Mass Ordinary for Eastertide (Vatican Edition I: “Lux et origo,”) the antiphon “Regina caeli laetare,” the hymn “Ad regias agni dapes,” the proper Gregorian chants, and organ music by J. S. Bach and Herbert Howells.

 

 

News, Saints

High Mass in Honor of Saint Joseph

Link

The Feast of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Workman, will be celebrated in a High Mass in the traditional Latin form at St. Stanislaus Church, State and Eld Streets in New Haven, on Sunday, May 1, at 2:00 pm. The celebrant will be The Reverend Canon Joel Estrada, Pastor of St. Patrick’s Oratory in Waterbury.

In 1870 Pope Pius IX solemnly proclaimed St. Joseph the Patron and Protector of the Universal Church. In 1955 Pope Pius XII instituted the Feast of St. Joseph the Workman and decreed that a new Mass in the saint’s honor be said on May 1st. It is not by chance that this day was chosen. May 1st is a Communist legal holiday in honor of the radical workers. In contrast, the Holy Father set aside May 1st to give honor to St. Joseph and to restore dignity to faithful Christian laborers.

By the work of his hands St. Joseph provided sustenance for the Holy Family as husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and foster-father of Our Lord. The child Jesus worked beside Joseph in his shop in Nazareth. Let us pray for the patience and humility to emulate St. Joseph who fulfilled his duty in his daily toil and protecting the purity of the Christian home.

Music for the service, sung by members of the Schola Cantorum of The Saint Gregory Society, will include the Gregorian Mass Ordinary for Eastertide (Vatican Edition I: “Lux et origo,” motets by Orestes Ravanello and Charles Gounod, the Gregorian Mass proper for St. Joseph, “Sapientia reddidit,” and organ music by Eugène Gigout and Léon Boëllmann.

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Easter, News

Holy Week 2022: Easter Day

Easter Day will be celebrated in a High Mass in the traditional Latin form at St. Stanislaus Church, State Street at Eld Street, in New Haven on Sunday, April 17, at 2:00 pm. The Celebrant will be The Reverend Jan Pikulski.

The Feast of Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead on the third day after his death on the cross on Good Friday. The Resurrection is the climax of Holy Week, and, indeed of the entire Church Year, as it represents the central tenet of Christian belief: Christ’s triumph over sin and death and redemption of fallen mankind.

Jesus confounded the powers of evil by clothing in glory the Body which had been the Victim of the cruelty of sinful man. Christ’s triumph over depth is the most conclusive proof of His divinity and is thus the foundation of our faith. “God hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. He hath raised us up together with Christ and hath made us sit together in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 2.6)

Let us joyfully keep this day on which our Lord has restored life to us in His own rising from the dead, and affirm with the Church that “the Lord is risen indeed.” In following Him, let us make our Easter a passing to an entirely new and righteous way of life.

Music for the service, sung by the full Schola Cantorum of The Saint Gregory Society, will include the Gregorian chant proper, “Resurrexi,” the Mass ordinary “Lux et origo” (Vatican Edition I), motets by François Couperin and Jean-François Lallouette, and organ music by François Couperin and Louis Marchand.