Sunday, June 15, 2008

No Place Like Home: Extraordinary Liturgies in the Diocese of Harrisburg

From the church where I was baptized:

A few days ago I spoke with Fr. John Szada, Pastor of St. Vincent Church in Hanover, PA. This church is in the Diocese of Harrisburg (USA), where Bishop Kevin Rhoades has been highly supportive of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. This parish has begun celebrating the Traditional Mass on the first Wednesday of each month, and it is well-received.

In addition, Fr. Szada is the only priest of the diocese who has faculties to celebrate both the Roman Rite and the Byzantine Rite. Accordingly, he will be celebrating a Byzantine Rite Liturgy on the Vigil of St. John the Baptist, June 23 at St. Vincent's. I'm not certain of the time; if I had to guess I'd say 7pm.


From St. Patrick's Cathedral in Harrisburg:

Today (June 15th) at 2:30pm, Fr. Jonathan Romanowski (I hope I have the name correct; sincerest apologies if I do not), a newly ordained priest of the FSSP and a Harrisburg native, will celebrate a Traditional Mass. I cannot make it; I hope some of you can.


From Lancaster:

Articles about a new regularly scheduled Traditional Mass at St. Anthony's can be found here and here. I have not examined them for little errors in minutiae. But remember: All publicity is good publicity. This newly-scheduled Mass is due to the goodness of Bishop Rhoades who has responded to requests in that area. When he took possession of the See of Harrisburg, there was one Traditional Mass which was held monthly on a Saturday evening in a high school chapel. The first weekly celebration, set in the magnificent beauty of St. Lawrence Church in Harrisburg, was begun within months of Rhoades' takeover--well before the motu proprio. Now there are TWO weekly celebrations of this liturgy in the diocese.

By the way, St. Anthony's is a gorgeous church, perhaps the most beautiful in the City of Lancaster.

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