Sacred Art Conference for Young Adults in Manhattan, Dec. 11

On Saturday, December 11, Juventutem NYC will host a Sacred Art Conference at the church of the Holy Innocents in New York City. The event will begin at 1:00pm with Holy Mass in the traditional Roman Rite, followed by talks on topics such as “Sanctifying Grace and Sacred Beauty” and “Churches as sacred spaces that consecrate and defend the consecrated.” The conference is held in honor of St Nicholas, and seven notable Italian Baroque paintings of the Miracles of Saint Nicholas from the private Papenhoek Collection will be presented for private devotion. The afternoon will round off with a young adult social with refreshments. Register by December 10th at JuventutemNYC.com/Events. Admission is $20 to help defray some of the costs and additional donations are gratefully appreciated. The Shrine of the Holy Innocents is located at 128 West 37th Street (at Broadway) in Manhattan. The parish is readily accessible by regional transit and is at walking distance from Penn Station.

About Juventutem: The Fœderatio Internationalis Juventutem, based in Switzerland, promotes the True, the Good, and the Beautiful, and, in particular, the offering of the Traditional Latin Mass. Based at Holy Innocents in Manhattan, Juventutem NYC is the local chapter of this global movement and network of Catholic young adults, ages 18-40, fostering the sanctification of youth worldwide according to the Roman traditions of the Church. Visit JuventutemNYC.com for more information.

All Saints and All Souls 2019 Photopost (Part 1)

As is usually the case, we received many more photographs of All Souls liturgies than All Saints, and once again, it’s great to see that all of them have black vestments. We begin with a nice variety of things from six different countries, including a Pontifical Mass; we also include some photos of celebrations the feast of Christ the King on its date. A real bumper crop of submissions has come in, so there will be at least two more posts of them. Thanks to all those who sent these in - evangelize through beauty!

Chapel of Christ the King –  Zagreb, Croatia

(Photos courtesy of Hrvoje Abraham Miličević)

Procession to the nearby cemetery for the Absolution

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54-Day Rosary Novena for the Clergy at Holy Innocents in NYC

The church of the Holy Innocents In New York City will pray a 54-Day Rosary Novena in reparation for the sins of sex abuse committed by the clergy, and for the sanctification of all priests and religious, starting today, and ending on Saturday, December 8th, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. A Holy Hour of Reparation for the sexual sins of priests and for the sanctification of the clergy will be held on December 8th following the 1:00 p.m. Mass, during which the final Rosary of the 54-day Novena will be prayed.

Here is the series of prayers which will be added to the individual mysteries of the Rosary as part of the novena; it includes a series of petitions to be made for the first 27 days, followed by a series of thanksgivings for the last 27 days. We include these for those who may wish to to unite their prayers on behalf of the Church and the clergy to this initiative.

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Lenten Mission at Holy Innocents in New York City

The church of the Holy Innocents In New York City will have a Lenten Parish Mission from Monday March 19 to Wednesday, March 21, during the 6 pm Latin Mass, to be preached by Fr Joseph Tuscan, OFM Cap. There will be the opportunity, for all those who attend each evening of the Mission, to gain a Plenary Indulgence. Confessions will be heard after Holy Mass.

The theme of the Mission will be: Saints of the Church; models and methods for overcoming sin & division.
1) Monday – Blessed Solanus Casey; overcoming patterns of personal sin and healing of division.
2) Tuesday – Saint Padre Pio; forgiveness and healing in families and the sacrament of reconciliation.
3) Wednesday – The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Holy Eucharist (with special blessing to impart the plenary indulgence).

Fr. Joseph entered Borromeo College Seminary in 1986 where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Sciences in 1989. In 1990, he professed his first vows as a Capuchin friar, and perpetual vows in 1993, going on to earn his Master’s degree in Theology at the Washington Theological Union in 1995; he was ordained to the priesthood in 1997. His first assignment after ordination was on the Pacific island of Papua New Guinea, where he served for four years. Since returning to the US in 2001, he has served in various capacities as parochial vicar, military and hospital chaplain, and Pastor. Most recently, he worked with the friars in the Custody of Puerto Rico and currently serves as a full-time Minister of the Word and Evangelization, offering retreats and reflection days for parishes, religious and priests.

What is the point of a parish mission? Are parish missions necessary? Who benefits from parish missions?

A mission is an opportunity for a parish to experience in a heightened and intense way spiritual services, sermons, and Sacraments focusing on the major themes of our Faith. We all know of parishes where we can find people who habitually neglect Mass on Sunday and on feasts of obligation, even though they could go without any difficulty. Such people, if they go to their annual confession, manifest some kind of sorrow when questioned about this point, and promise to amend. Yet, after having attended Mass twice or three times, miss it again the same as before. Next year they make the same promises, and the same relapses follow.

In these cases, only the plain (but forcible) exposition of the evil of sin and its terrible consequences on the one hand, and the reflection on the mercy and goodness of God on the other, made by experienced missionaries who have experience in dealing with such cases, can make an irresistible impression upon their perverted hearts. Only a good parish mission may be able to bring these souls back to God.

The benefits that grow from parish missions in Christ’s vineyard cannot easily be overestimated. Parish missions are times of extraordinary grace in which the kingdom of God is re-established in the hearts of the faithful, sinners are restored to God’s friendship, tepid souls are re-animated to a life of fervor, and the righteous are encouraged in their efforts to aim at still greater perfection. In a word, a mission well-made destroys the kingdom of Satan, purifies and renovates the parish, and glorifies the Church of God.

With good parish missions, the better portion of the parishioners are strengthened in their faith; they learn to appreciate their religion in greater measure and to practice it more cheerfully; and they are put on their guard against dangers that threaten them at the present, or may rise up against them in the future. The weaker portion of the congregation is animated to greater fervor; the wayward are brought back; the erring are enlightened; the ignorant are instructed; and all classes of sinners are brought to repentance and to true reconciliation with God and His Church.

Rorate Masses in New York City

This year, the Church of the Holy Innocents in New York City is holding 10 Rorate Masses, the Votive Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary for Advent, during the first part of the holy season. The Mass takes its title from the first words of the Introit, from Isaiah 45, 8: “Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just one: let the earth be opened and bud forth a Savior.”; it is celebrated by candlelight, in white vestments are worn instead of violet. In the dimly lit setting, priests and faithful prepare to honor the Light of the world, Who is soon to be born, and offer praise to God for the gift of Our Lady. As the Mass proceeds and sunrise approaches, the church becomes progressively brighter, illuminated by the sun as our Faith is illumined by Christ. The readings and prayers of the Mass foretell the prophecy of the Virgin who would bear a Son called Emmanuel.

The Rorate Mass will be celebrated at the Church of the Holy Innocents on the following days of Advent, all of them starting at 6 a.m.: Monday, December 4, Tuesday, December 5, Wednesday, December 6, Thursday, December 7, Saturday, December 9, Monday, December 11, Wednesday, December 13, Thursday, December 14, Friday, December 15, Saturday, December 16. The church is located at 128 West 37th Street.

The words of the Introit are used repeatedly both at the Mass and in the Divine Office during the season of Advent, expressing the longings of the Patriarchs and Prophets, and of the entire human race since the fall of Adam, for the coming of the Redeemer. The celebration of this Mass by candle light had originally a more practical reason: for many centuries, no Mass was allowed to be celebrated after noon, and when these Masses were celebrated very early in the morning (before dawn) it was still very dark, especially in winter-time. In the course of time and through the power of religious tradition, a spiritual meaning attached to the custom; the use of candles symbolizes the bright light of Christmas to which Advent leads us.

Before the liturgical revolution after the Second Vatican Council, this Mass was celebrated very early in the morning on all Saturdays, and in some countries such as Poland and Germany, during some or all weekdays during the season of Advent. As the season’s votive Mass of the Virgin Mary, it presents Her as the perfect model to imitate throughout the season of Advent, and teaches us its real spirit as we await the coming of the Messiah. During the nine months of pregnancy, Our Lady lived a hidden life, in silence and intimacy with Christ. During the period of Advent, we should cultivate that same spirit of silence and intimacy by listening attentively to God’s message and by obedience to His word, through devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, so that, like the shepherds of Bethlehem, we may always find Jesus through Mary “So (the shepherds) went with haste, and they found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger.” (Luke 2, 16).

Thanks to Mr Eddy Toribio for the text above, and to one of our most faithful photopost contributors, Diana Yuan, for these photos of the Rorate Mass celebrated at Holy Innocents yesterday morning:

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40 Hours at Holy Innocents in NYC, Oct. 27-29

The Church of the Holy Innocents in New York City will start its Forty Hours Devotion tomorrow evening, at 6 p.m., with a Votive Mass of the Most Blessed Sacrament, followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament a solemn Eucharistic procession inside the church, the Pange lingua, the Litany of the Saints; other special psalms and prayers will be chanted. On Saturday, October 28 at 1 p.m., the traditional Votive Mass for peace will be celebrated. The closing Mass on the third day, Sunday, October 29, will be that of the feast of Christ the King, starting at 10:30 a.m celebrated coram Sanctissimo (in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed throughout the entire Mass). At the end of the closing Mass, the Litany of the Saints and other special psalms and prayers will be chanted and we will have another Procession of the Blessed Sacrament inside the church. This Procession will end with Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament, the Divine Praises, and the recitation of the Act of Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Rorate Masses at Holy Innocents in NYC

The church of the Holy Innocents in New York City has scheduled ten traditional Rorate Masses this Advent, some sung and some read, six of them celebrated at 6:00 a.m., and one at 5:00 a.m., with three more to go. Despite the early hour, attendance has been good, usually around 40 people, with more than 70 at the very early one on Saturday the 3rd. The next three will be celebrated on Saturday, December 10, Tuesday, December 13, and Thursday, December 15, all at 6:00 a.m. For some photos of the beautiful photos taken during several of these beautiful and inspiring Masses, go here: http://traditionalcatholicism83.blogspot.com/2016/12/rorate-masses-at-holy-innocents-nyc_7.html (Our thanks to Mr Eddy Toribio for sending us these photos.)

Lecture in NYC on the English Martyrs Next Monday

Next Monday, October 17th, the church of the Holy Innocents in New York City will host writer Joanna Bogle for a lecture on “The English Martyrs Viewed from a Contemporary Perspective,” after the 6 pm EF Mass. Full details are given in the poster below.

EF Confirmations in New York City and Copenhagen

Our thanks to readers from New York City and Copenhagen for sending in these pictures of Confirmations recently celebrated in their local churches in the Extraordinary Form.

On Saturday, June 18, the Church of the Holy Innocents in New York City was honored to welcome one of the auxiliary bishops of the Archdiocese of New York, the Most Rev. John O’Hara, for the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation according to the traditional rites and ceremonies. The Veni Creator Spiritus was sung at the beginning, and Bishop O’Hara gave a wonderful exhortation to the candidates and those in attendance, mentioning how glad he was to be at Holy Innocents doing the Confirmations in the Old Rite. After the Confirmations, a solemn Te Deum was sung in thanksgiving for such a great occasion, followed by the recitation of the Rosary, and a Solemn Mass; Bishop O’Hara attended in choir and gave the homily, expressing his appreciation of the liturgy and the music (the Missa Quatuor vocum ad imitationem moduli ‘Exsultate Deo’ by François Cosset, c.1610-c.1664). Below are the photos taken by Mr. Arrys Ortanez.

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EF Pontifical Mass Tomorrow at Holy Innocents in NYC

On Saturday, June 25, there will be an EF Pontifical Mass at the Church of the Holy Innocents in New York City starting at 1 p.m. The church is located at 128 West 37th St.

The Mass will be celebrated by His Excellency Matthieu Madega Lebouankehan, Bishop of Mouila in Gabon. Bishop Madega is the president of Gabon’s Bishop Conference, and was the representative of the African continent on the committee during the recent Synod on the Family to oversee the draft of the final document. Additionally, Bishop Madega was one of the Bishops who signed the “Filial Appeal to His Holiness Pope Francis” asking the Holy Father to clarify and preserve Church doctrine on the family and the sacrament of matrimony.

At the end of the Mass, there will be a small reception in the parish hall where parishioners will have the opportunity to meet Bishop Madega.

Bishop Madega conferring tonsure on seminarians of the Institute of Christ the King.

Year of Mercy Pilgrimage in NYC This Saturday

A PILGRIMAGE TO THE BASILICA OF ST. PATRICK’S OLD CATHEDRAL & SHRINE CHURCH OF THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

This coming Saturday, June 11, 2016 (immediately after the 1 p.m. traditional Mass at the Church of the Holy Innocents in New York City), a group of parishioners will go pilgrimage to St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral where they will be received by the Rector, Msgr. Donald Sakano.

Once there, the parishioners will get a tour of the recent renovations and be led in prayer for the Year of Mercy. If time allows, there will also be a tour of the catacombs/underground cemetery. The parishioners will be there from 2:30 p.m. until about 3:30 p.m.

The group will then depart for to the Church of the Most Precious Blood where the Holy Doors of Mercy are located for those who want to obtain the plenary indulgences. If time allows, there will also be an explanation of the Neapolitan presepio (manger scene) that is now at the Shrine Church of the Most Precious Blood.

Finally, at 4 p.m., newly-ordained Fr. Jon Tveit will celebrate traditional 1st Vespers of the 4th Sunday after Pentecost at the Shrine Church of the Most Precious Blood. If you are interested in attending, please let Mr. Eddy Toribio know (eddy@holy-innocents.com).

For more information on the requirements to obtain the plenary indulgence, please go here: http://oldcathedral.org/extraordinary-jubilee-year-of-mercy.

Corpus Christi at Holy Innocents in New York City

The Church of the Holy Innocents in New York City will hold a Solemn Mass for the Feast of Corpus Christi, followed by an outdoor procession in midtown Manhattan on Thursday, May 26, 2016, starting at 6 p.m.

Since 2009, the traditional Mass community at the Church of Holy Innocents has celebrated Corpus Christi on its traditional date — the Thursday after Trinity Sunday — with a Solemn Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. In 2009, the Mass was the first of a novena of Masses in the Extraordinary Form that concluded with a Pontifical Mass at the Throne for the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The inaugural procession with the Blessed Sacrament took place inside the church followed by Solemn Benediction. Since 2010, every procession following the Solemn Mass has been outdoors.

In the words of a Holy Innocents parishioner, “It is such a great act of faith to go in procession with the Blessed Sacrament through midtown Manhattan near Macy’s, Herald Square, and Penn Station.” Since 2010, the faithful members of the traditional Mass community at Holy Innocents feel tremendous joy at the occasion to make a very public expression of their Catholic faith in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

For many years, Holy Innocents was the only parish in midtown Manhattan to have a procession of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Mr. Eddy Toribio, one of the regular servers at Holy Innocents, says, “Every year, this particular procession draws hundreds of faithful parishioners and visitors in solemn procession singing hymns in Latin, English, Spanish, and Italian. It is truly a splendid sight, which reminds the city that never sleeps that the Catholic Church’s teaching on the Eucharist remains the same.”

Before the 6 p.m. Solemn Mass, the parishioners will recite the Holy Rosary at 5:20. The Choirmaster and organist, Mr. Pedro d’Aquino, will direct the music (Messa a tre voci by Saverio Mercadante, 1795-1870). After the Mass and the outdoors procession, there will be a festive reception in the parish hall.

Holy Week Schedule - Holy Innocents, New York City

As is tradition every year, Holy Innocents will have the Holy Week ceremonies according to the older liturgical books. In addition to the ceremonies noted on the poster below, Masses will be celebrated on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week at 6 p.m. The church will be open throughout the evening of Holy Thursday. Particularly noteworthy is also the traditional preaching on the Seven Last Words on Good Friday, which will be accompanied by the music of Théodore Dubois.

Epiphany Photopost 2016 (Updated)

As always, we are very grateful to all those who sent in photos of their Epiphany liturgies and blessings. We have a few photos of the Blessing of the Waters in the Maronite Rite, and I am also including, at Fr Kocik’s suggestion, a video of the Byzantine version of the same blessing, filmed by a river in Slovakia. The next photopost will be for the feast of the Purification/Presentation on February 2nd. Evangelize through beauty!

(This post has been updated with some photographs sent in by Father Zuhlsdorf, from the church of St Mary’s Pine Bluff in Wisconsin - gratias, optime Pater!)

Our Lady of the Assumption & St Gregory - London, England

Organized by Juventutem London, and sung by their schola. Follows these links to visit their blog, Facebook page and Flickr stream.

Genuflection at the words of the Gospel “...and falling down they adored Him.”

Proclamation of the Movable Feasts

Blessing of Chalk

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Christmas 2015 Photopost - Late Entries

Just a couple of late submission from Christmas and its octave.

Church of St Anne (Damenstiftkirche) - Munich, Bavaria (FFSP)

Midnight Mass and the Feast of St Stephen

Church of the Holy Innocents - Manhattan, New York City

Solemn Mass on the Patronal Feast

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Photographs of Rorate Mass at Holy Innocents NYC

As posted a few days ago, there was a Rorate Mass held at Holy Innocents in Manhattan on Saturday. The Solemn Mass took place at 5am illuminated by candlelight alone, and included Gregorian Chant. The following photographs were taken by Anthony Dacosta and Cecilia Tan:

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Advent to Epiphany at Holy Innocents, Manhattan

Here are some details of the wonderful liturgies and events coming up Holy Innocents, New York between now and Epiphany. The Church is at 128 West 37th Street, Manhattan.