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Catechesis, News

Solemn High Mass for the Feast of the Holy Cross

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross will be observed in a Solemn High Mass at St. Stanislaus Church, State Street at Eld Street in New Haven, on Sunday, September 18, at 2:00 pm. Father Richard G. Cipolla, Pastor Emeritus of St. Mary’s Church, Norwalk, will be the celebrant and homilist, and Father Robert Turner, Pastor of St. Ambrose Parish in North Branford, will be the deacon. The Schola Cantorum of the St. Gregory Society will sing the Gregorian chant for the service.

The Feast of the Holy Cross commemorates the finding of the True Cross by St. Helena, Mother of the Emperor Constantine, who erected churches upon the sites of the Holy Sepulchre and Calvary.  The dedication took place on the 13th and 14th of September of 335. In this feast we memorialize Christ’s death on the Cross, which was at once His sacrifice and His victory. He Himself foretold on the eve of His Passion: “The prince of this world is to be cast out. Yes, if only I am lifted up from the earth, I will attract all men to myself.” (Gospel). St. Paul also points out that the law of exaltation through suffering may be said to have governed the whole of Christ’s life (Epistle), and draws the moral that “it behooves us to glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Introit).

 The external celebration of this feast has special significance for the members and friends of the St. Gregory Society.  It was on this feast day in 2007 that Pope Benedict XVI’s apostolic letter Summorum Pontificum went into effect, granting all priests of the Latin rite Church the right to celebrate Mass in the traditional Latin form and the faithful to request such celebrations be regularly available in their parishes. It is, therefore, a most fitting occasion for us thankfully to rejoice in the Holy Father’s provision for widespread use of the traditional Roman liturgy.

Music for the service will include Gregorian Mass Ordinary XI (Orbis factor), the motet “Adoramus te, Christe” by Vincenzo Ruffo, the Hymn “Vexilla regis prodeunt” set by Orestes Ravanello, the Gregorian chant propers for the feast (“Nos autem gloriari,” and organ music by Girolamo Frescobaldi and Claudio Merulo.

News, Sacred Liturgy

Thanks to our Clergy and Servers

On the occasion of the last scheduled High Mass of this season, the Officers of the St. Gregory Society offer heartfelt thanks to those serving as our Sacred Ministers and Servers at the Altar for their inestimable contribution to the worship of God in the New Haven community.

Elevation of the Chalice
Solemn Mass of Corpus Christi, 19 June 2022
at St. Stanislaus Church, New Haven

The Reverend Peter Lenox, Celebrant
The Reverend Robert L. Turner, Deacon
Mr. William V. Riccio, Jr., Subdeacon
Mr. Michael Nazarro, Master of Ceremonies
Mr. Anthony Carpanzano, Acolyte

ROTA OF ACTIVE CLERGY

The Reverend Richard G. Cipolla
Pastor Emeritus, St. Mary’s Church, Norwalk

The Reverend Michael Vian Clark
Priest of the Diocese of Bridgeport

The Reverend Canon Joel Estrada
Pastor and Rector, St. Patrick Parish and Oratory, Waterbury

The Reverend Peter Langevin
Chancellor of the Diocese of Norwich

The Reverend Peter Lenox
Episcopal Vicar for Liturgy and Worship, Bridgeport

The Reverend Matthew Mauriello
Canon of Orvieto

The Reverend Dennis M. Perkins
Pastor, St. Michael the Archangel Church, Pawcatuck

The Reverend Jan Pikulski
Retired Priest, Diocese of Bridgeport

The Reverend Robert L. Turner
Pastor, St. Ambrose Parish, North Branford

ROTA OF SERVERS AT THE ALTAR

William V. Riccio, Jr.
Master of Ceremonies

Michael D. Nazarro
Assistant Master of Ceremonies

Anthony Carpanzano
James D. Onofrio
Brother Stephen Sheehy, OSB
Paul A. Zalonski, KHS

 

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.