The Latin Mass (using the 1962 missal) is celebrated every Sunday at 11:00a.m. at St. Francis de Sales Church.
On the first Sunday of the month and certain feast days, a Missa Cantata (or sung mass) is celebrated (including the priest sprinkling the congregants with holy water, choir, singing, and incense).
On the other Sundays, the Low Mass is celebrated.
Normally there is recitation of the rosary preceding the Low Mass.
A social hour is held after Mass at the Church Hall—all are invited.
The Latin Mass emphasizes silent prayer and quiet reflection as a prayerful and contemplative commemoration of the sacrifice of Christ on the altar. The priest represents the parishioners and faces the same direction as they do as he collectively presents prayers to God. Only when the priest turns and faces the people does he speak to the people. This is a reflection of the high priest (Christ) praying to the Father for us. It is Christ offering His sacrifice for us.
There are some differences between the Latin (Tridentine) and English (Novus Ordo) Mass.
In the Latin Mass:
- The priest and altar boys pray and respond in Latin, while the congregants pray the Mass silently from the missal.
- The Epistle (similar to the First Reading) is read from the Epistle side of the altar and the Gospel (read from the gospel side of the altar) are read in Latin. Afterwards, the Epistle and Gospel are read to the congregants in the vernacular (in our case, English), and the homily is delivered in English.
- Communion is received on the tongue while the communicant is kneeling at the altar rail. There is no need for the communicant to say “Amen” when receiving communion, since the priest is reciting prayers on behalf of the communicant.
- The liturgical calendar differs between the Latin and English Masses.
Latin missals include both English and Latin on facing pages. Do not worry if you are unable to locate your old Latin missal, there are loaner missals available in the back of church.
Also, check out http://uvoc.org/Propers.html for the proper prayers of a particular day.
For more on the Latin Mass, click here:
There is a need for:
Altar Boys (men) - To serve Mass. Training provided.
Choir Members - First Sunday of the month.
If interested in either, contact Sid Marcus at latinmass@stfrancisdesalescc.org