Topics: Suprememcy and Survival: Book Review By James Spencer.... Invocation:of The Nine Choirs of Angels...Through the Oxford Experience: By Stephanie Mann...Dressed in Your Sunday Best: Examiner.com....Just a Picture: A Picture (wadya think?)...New TLM: Diocese of Dodge City...Words of Wisdom: St. John Vianney...St Theresa:Hutchinson Kansas
The Necessaries
It occurs to me that last week I was absent from Venite without leave. Tsk, tsk. Some people's kids I tell ya.....to the moon Alice!
Instead of our planned week long trip to Santa Fe we opted for a weekend flurry of activity in Kansas City which is why, in my haste to get out of town, I failed to post a non-post...post. Miss me?
We ate some yummy Italian, walked the art scene, saw the WWI memorial, rode some spine wrenching coasters, had wonderful margherita pizza(yum) at Grinders (a kid's and hippy dive bar...as seen on Food Network) and went to Mass at Old St. Patrick's Oratory. A nice weekend overall.
It's nice to get away but always better to get home.
This week's post features not one but TWO fabulous writers for the low price of free with no money down and no long term commitment. Stephanie Mann, author of Supremecy and Survival, Scepter Publishers 2007 (http://www.blogger.com/www.supremacyandsurvival.com) is back, along with the ever prolific writer James Spencer, he of large brain, fluid Latin and just about perfect health.
And now the necessary housework: Please note: St. Anthony Catholic Church is the only local church celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass (EFLR) in the Wichita area. Though this blog is loosely centered around this parish and it's members, Venite Missa Est! is by no means, in any way an official voice of, or for, St. Anthony Parish or the Diocese of Wichita. Venite Missa Est is strictly a private layman's endeavor. Enjoy this weeks post. We are always looking for contributers.
Feel free to contribute thoughts, articles, poems, artwork or anything else for that matter to bumpy187@gmail.com for consideration for next weeks post.
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Book Review By James Spencer
Supremacy and Survival
by Stephanie A. Mann
published in 2007 by Scepter Publishers, Inc., NY; http://www.blogger.com/www.scepterpublishers.org; ISBN 978-1-59417-079-9; softcover, 167 pages (5.5”X8.5”); $14.95.
This is a concise and smoothly written history of the Catholic Church in England from 1509, shortly before the English Reformation, until well after the 1829 Emancipation of English Catholics, and even into the twentieth century. Covering all this in 167 pages as fully and completely as Mrs. Mann does in this book requires very tight writing. Such writing, being free from wordiness and pointless digressions, usually makes a book a pleasure to read, as is certainly the case here.
Part I: The Tudor Reformation:
Part I covers the reigns of four Tudors: Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. During that period England was changed from a solidly Catholic nation into a largely Protestant and ant-Catholic Empire.
The first chapter describing how solidly and contentedly Catholic the English were before Henry VIII’s break with Rome in 1534. Unlike some peoples in Continental European countries, most Englishmen were devoted to the Church. Granted, a few intellectuals with close ties with their Continental peers were glancing longingly at this “new thing,” Protestantism, but they had little influence on either the nobility or the common people.
The next chapter tells of Henry VIII’s reign (1509-1547). Henry, whom the Pope once proclaimed “Defender of the Faith” for his defense of the Church Doctrines against the heresies of Luther, suddenly wanted his marriage to Catherine, his wife and queen, annulled. Historians offer two reasons for this desire: his lust for the crafty Anne Boleyn and his desire for a male heir. In general, Catholic historians favor the former and all but write off the latter, while non-Catholic historians champion the latter and trivialize the former. Mrs. Mann, apparently realizing that only God and Henry -- and maybe only God -- knew what was going on in this wildly emotional King’s mind, presents both motives with complete impartiality. This is refreshing.
But the Pope, having reviewed the case carefully, determined that Henry’s marriage to Catherine was valid, and that therefore he could not grant Henry’s request for an annulment. Infuriated by this, Henry decided to separate himself and the English Church from Rome. To make the break official, Henry directed that both Parliament and the Convocation of English Bishops declare him “Head of the Church in England,” which they did. Sadly, of the many bishops in England, only St. John Fisher refused to sign this declaration.
Henry then had Cranmer, his newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, declare his marriage to Catherine null. Having gained the annulment/divorce he wanted and having married Anne Boleyn, hoping she would present him with male heir, Henry was content. In fact, for the rest of his reign, he insisted that the English retain the traditional Catholic religion, except for his schismatic separation from Rome. He also required everyone in Church and State to swear a series of oaths related to his supposed supremacy, his divorce, and his intended successor to the throne. Thus began the long series of brutal and bloody Catholic martyrdoms of those who refused to take these oaths. Bishop Fisher’s and Sir Thomas More’s are the most famous of these many, many martyred “recusants.”
Soon thereafter, the spendthrift Henry made another tragic mistake, one with far more lasting consequences: He authorized the dissolution of monasteries in order to replenish his depleted coffers. By selling these properties to well-healed nobles, he turned the nobility and their descendents irrevocably toward Protestantism, because for them, returning to full communion with the Catholic Church would mean, in conscience, returning their stolen monastery property.
The next chapter covers the reign of Edward VI (1547-1553), during which the English Reformation became Protestant. In 1547 Edward VI was only ten years old, so his uncle, Edward Seymour, took control of the government, acting as the young king’s Lord Protector. Seymour and his noble allies turned England toward Protestantism. They replaced the Traditional Latin Mass with a English communion service from Thomas Cranmer’s Book of Common Prayer. This brought on revolts and uprisings from the common people, but these were eventually put down. Martyrdoms increased.
The next chapter covers the reign of the deeply Catholic Mary I (1553-1558), who was very popular with the still-Catholic common people. She restored the English Church to full communion with Rome and brought back the Traditional Latin Mass. Although she made no effort to reclaim stolen Church property, her “welcome” among the nobility was cool and short-lived. Sadly, she died without leaving an heir. In this chapter Mrs. Mann tells of Mary’s triumphs, struggles, and sorrows, all in touching detail.
The final chapter in Section I covers the forty-five year reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603), who unfortunately cared less about religion than about power. During these years, she and her noble accomplices established the Church of England and restored harsh anti-Catholic laws and penalties that drove the Catholic Church in England underground. Englishmen were forbidden to attend Mass and were required to attend the Anglican service every Sunday. Priests were outlawed, hunted, and (frankly) butchered. Bloody martyrdoms of English Catholics were common throughout her reign. She even imprisoned and eventually executed Queen Mary of Scotland, her Catholic rival for the throne of England.
Part II: Stuart Reformation and Religious Settlements from the 17th Century to the 20th:
The first chapter in this section tells of the reign of the first Stewart King, James I (1603-1625), a Protestant son of Mary of Scotland. He initiated the “Divine Right of Kings” theory that eventually became so popular with monarchs all over Europe. Persecution of Catholics continued, exacerbated by the 1605 “Gunpowder Plot,” a foiled attempt by Guy Fawkes and a few other Catholics to blow up the House of Commons.
The next chapter covers the reign of James’ brother, Charles I (1625-1647). He had a Catholic wife, who persuaded him to be more lenient with Catholics. However, he was harsh with Puritans (Calvinists), which led to the Civil War (1642-47), during which Charles I was captured, escaped, and was recaptured, tried, and executed.
Oliver Cromwell ruled as Lord Protector until his death in 1660. This period has since been called the “Interregnum” (between kingdoms). It was a time of Puritan triumph, during which persecution of Catholics increased, especially in Ireland.
The next chapter covers the restoration of the monarchy under Charles II (1660-1685), during which the Church of England was re-established. Although he was inclined toward Catholicism because of his Catholic wife, Charles allowed the persecution of Catholics to continue, although somewhat less “enthusiastically.” But the trumped-up “Popish Plot” (1678-79) so riled the people that the persecution greatly increased. Perhaps surprisingly, Charles II was received into the Catholic Church on his deathbed.
In 1685, Charles’ brother, James II, a convert to Catholicism, came to the throne. He tried to ameliorate the conditions for Catholics in England while maintaining support of the Church of England (of which he was the Head!). All went reasonably well with his subjects until his wife had a son, which meant the establishment of a Catholic dynasty. Fear of this led to the Glorious Revolution of 1688, which brought the Protestants, William and Mary, to the throne.
The next chapter covers the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution. Mary died in 1694; William died in 1702. Queen Anne, the last of the Stewarts, came to the throne and reigned until her death 1714.
Because of the complicated laws of succession enacted during the reign of William and Mary, the German House of Hanover provided George I as the successor to the English throne. He and his successor, George III, continued persecution of Catholics until 1791, when Parliament passed the Roman Catholic Relief Act. George III still refused to emancipate Catholics fully.
The final chapter in Section II tells of 1829 Catholic Emancipation Act, which ended the persecution of Catholics. Mrs. Mann concludes this chapter of her book with an inspiring presentation of the Oxford Movement and the subsequent rich treasury of cultural and literary contributions made by English Catholics, most of them converts, since the Emancipation Act. Among these are: Cardinal Newman, August Pugin, Fr. Faber, Gerard Manly Hopkins, G. K. Chesterton, Hilaire Belloc, Ronald Knox, Evelyn Waugh, Christopher Dawson, Frank Sheed, Maisie Ward, and many others.
Nota bene: In the front of this book, Mrs. Mann includes the following three appendix-like supplements that the reader should find most helpful: Diagrams of the Tudor and Stewart family trees: a brief bio of important historical persons; definitions of theological and political terms; and the important historical events during the years covered by this book.
This book should appeal to anyone interested in the English Reformation. It should especially interest Catholics who have studied history only in non-Catholic schools and colleges. It is brief, yet full of interesting details. It is complete, yet free of meaningless meanderings. It is well-written, a delight to read – and re-read.
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Invocation of the Nine Choirs of Angels
Tip 'o the hat to Kansas Catholic.com at http://kansascatholic.blogspot.com/ for the Inspiration
Invocation of the Nine Choirs of Angels
O Holy Angels, watch over us at all times during this perilous life:
O holy Archangels, be our guides on the way to heaven;
O heavenly choir of the Principalities, govern us in soul and body;
O mighty Powers, preserve us against the wiles of the demons;
O celestial Virtues, give us strength and courage in the battle of life;
O powerful Dominations, obtain for us dominion over the rebellion of our flesh;
O sacred Thrones, grant us peace with God and man;
O brilliant Cherubim, illuminate our minds with heavenly knowledge;
O burning Seraphim, enkindle in our hearts the fire of charity.
Amen.
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Through the Oxford Experience
By Stephanie Mann
Author of Supremecy and Survival, Scepter Publishers 2007
This summer I went to Oxford, England to attend a class on the Oxford Movement as part of the annual Oxford Experience. I stayed in an “undergraduate study room” (a dorm room) and shared bathroom facilities in one of the quads of Christ Church. Christ Church is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford. It has the distinction of being the only one with a Cathedral as part of its structure. The Oxford Experience brings people from around the world to attend week long, non-academic (no papers, tests, or grades) courses while experiencing all that Oxford has to offer.
The city of Oxford, distinct from the University of Oxford, does have a lot to offer. It has the second-best bookstore in the world, Blackwell’s. (I think Eighth Day Books in Wichita, Kansas is the best.) It has a great art museum, the Ashmolean, unfortunately closed for extensive renovations during my visit. It has other bookstores, coffee shops, pubs (including the famous “Bird and the Baby” where the Inklings met), and a thriving tourist economy.
The University of Oxford provides the visitor with beautiful architecture and historic colleges with chapels and halls. If you are interested in English literature and history, the associations of the different colleges with their illustrious alumni are tremendous. The Great Hall at Christ Church, for instance, was filled with portraits of statesmen, clergy, artists, and writers. The same is true of the other colleges including Merton, St. John’s, Corpus Christi, Jesus, Magdalen (pronounced “maudlin”), All Souls, Trinity, and Oriel.
Because of my interest in Venerable John Henry Newman and in the history of the English Reformation, I appreciated visiting sites important to understanding the past. Visits to the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin meant more because Newman preached there; tours of Trinity and Oriel because Newman studied and tutored there. Our tutor took us to Keble College chapel, built to emphasize High Church Anglican rituals and to the Martyr’s Memorial, founded in the 19th century to honor the Protestant reformers burned at the stake during the reign of Mary I: Latimer, Ridley, and Cranmer. St. Mary’s the Virgin recently added a memorial to all the Reformation martyrs of Oxford, Catholic and Protestant including the Catholic Edmund Campion, Nicholas Owen, Cuthbert Mayne, and others— among the many who had connections to Oxford and were martyred in the 16th and 17th centuries.
I also had the opportunity to meet the proprietor of Southwell Books, an on-line bookstore offering Supremacy and Survival: How Catholics Endured the English Reformation. He and I discussed the Traditional Mass opportunities in Oxford, which he and his family appreciate so much. St. Aloysius Gonzaga, the Oxford Oratory, offers the Traditional Mass every Sunday morning at eight o’clock, while other churches offer weekly Masses on Saturday and Wednesday (Low), and First Fridays (Sung). The Traditional Mass community schedules training in Gregorian chant, pilgrimages and processions, and other activities.
I attended Mass at the Oxford Oratory on the Feast of St. Mary Magdalen, which was the Novus Ordo in Latin. I noticed, however, that the acolyte rang the bells at Consecration in the manner of the Traditional Mass, and poured both wine and water during the purification of the chalice after Holy Communion, and of course, we received Holy Communion kneeling at the altar rail.
I enjoyed my stay in Oxford this July, and would recommend The Oxford Experience as a great way to live and study in one of the greatest college towns in the western world. I have posted a photo album on Picasa, linked on the Contact page of my website, www.supremacyandsurvival.com
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Dressed in Your Sunday Best
by Denise Hunnell, M.D.
Examiner.com
"Dressed in your Sunday best" is a phrase that harkens back to a time when people made a point of putting on their nicest clothes for attending church on Sunday. Contemporary culture is far more casual, but is that appropriate for Mass? Notes like this one from the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington are appearing in Sunday bulletins with increasing frequency:
The temperatures have risen, and so we dress accordingly, right? Shorts, sleeveless tops, whatever keeps us cool. But wait a minute, it’s Sunday morning and time to prepare for Mass. Whether we consciously think of it or not, this will be the most important event of the day, and certainly worth a bit of “fuss” when it comes to choosing what to wear. Think about it—the angels hide their face before His Majesty—and what have we just pulled off the hanger? If we’re dressed for a backyard barbecue,we need to back up and try again! It’ll only take a minute, and God will bless us for the effort.
What is appropriate Mass attire? Assisting at Mass is not about greeting your friends and neighbors. It is about greeting God Himself as he is present in the Eucharist. Churches in Rome often require women to wear skirts that reach at least to the knee, no bare shoulders, and have their head covered. Men are not allowed to wear shorts or tank tops.
Here in the Washington D.C. area, the customary dress is not quite so restrictive but similar principles should apply. Let three words guide your clothing selection: neat, clean, and modest. Out of respect for the Eucharist women should not wear plunging necklines, spaghetti straps or strapless tops, nor should they display bare midriffs. Extremely short skirts or shorts, or tight pants are also inappropriate. Any clothing that calls attention to the wearer and away from the Mass is disrespectful. These guidelines are also applicable if you are going to be a guest at a Catholic wedding. While the wedding reception may have a cocktail party feel, the wedding Mass is a solemn religious rite. Therefore it is wise to have some sort of shawl or jacket to provide modesty during the wedding. Similarly, men should dress in a respectful way. Tank tops, frayed shorts, and T-shirts that seem suited for the beach do not honor God.
Since 1983, the Code of Canon Law has not required women to cover their head in church. However, a growing number of women are finding that wearing a chapel veil or mantilla is a helpful form of personal piety. The veil symbolizes the woman's role as a humble servant of Christ and a woman of the Church. It helps her to approach the Eucharist with humility and reverence. In most parishes in the D.C. area, only a handful of women will wear a head covering at any given Mass, but it is an acceptable practice.
If you attend Mass in the Extraordinary Form, also known as the Traditional Latin Mass, the dress is customarily more formal. Men should wear a tie and many will also be wearing a suit or sports jacket. Women wear skirts or dresses and usually wear some sort of head covering.
Clothing for Mass does not need to be expensive or elaborate. However, the care with which we dress reflects the care with which we pray. Most people take great pains to show up for a job interview or a party in appropriate clothing. It is only reasonable that we make the same effort to be suitably dressed at Mass to meet God.
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Just a Picture
I love this picture, though I have a feeling I have posted it before. I assume it is WWII Europe, the church being a victim of bombing..there's the horrible tear of the exterior with the glaring naked light threatening the solemnity of mass....but no, the candles burn even brighter, the incense probably sweeter, the invocation perhaps deeper...the participants more grateful than ever before.
Ok, I made all that up...but I love the pic.
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New TLM in the Diocese of Dodge City
Rorate Caeli
From a reader:
There is now a twice-weekly traditional Latin Mass in the Diocese of Dodge City, Kansas. Retired Benedictine Father Rene Guesnier, OSB, has moved to his hometown parish, St. Francis Xavier parish of Seward, and offers the TLM (Low Mass) Sundays at 11 am, and Mondays at 8:30 am. He also offers Novus Ordo Masses at the same parish.
The church is located at 8th and Lincoln in Seward, Stafford County, south of Great Bend and east of Larned.
This diocese had previously been one of the holdouts versus Summorum Pontificum in the USA, lacking even a single regular TLM.
Post Script: This morning Rorate Caeli had a comment from a reader that sheds more light on the TLM in the Diocese of Dodge City
Anonymous said...
It is not quite true that the Diocese of Dodge City has held out. Prior to Fr. Rene Guesnier celebrating Mass in Seward, KS another priest had been offering the TLM mondays and tuesday at SS. Peter & Paul, North Ellinwood, KS on a regular basis (site of Fr. Leontiev, F.SS.P's solemn High Mass four years ago!)when he had gone home to visit his mother over a year ago. Unfortunately, the church is no longer a canonical parish and thereby requires permission of the local Ordinary to offer any Mass there. Permission was given for the TLM on the occasion of the Feast of SS. Peter & Paul last June with Dr. John Rickert, F.SS.P giving the sermon and Fr. P. Klein celebrant. The formal request to offer the TLM at the historic church of SS. Peter & Paul had not yet been given! Nevertheless,the TLM mass is offered on 1st Sat. in Hugoton, KS and depending on circumstances, offered once during the week. Fortunately, Fr. Rene provides the consistent offering of the TLM every week.
15 August, 2009
It is not quite true that the Diocese of Dodge City has held out. Prior to Fr. Rene Guesnier celebrating Mass in Seward, KS another priest had been offering the TLM mondays and tuesday at SS. Peter & Paul, North Ellinwood, KS on a regular basis (site of Fr. Leontiev, F.SS.P's solemn High Mass four years ago!)when he had gone home to visit his mother over a year ago. Unfortunately, the church is no longer a canonical parish and thereby requires permission of the local Ordinary to offer any Mass there. Permission was given for the TLM on the occasion of the Feast of SS. Peter & Paul last June with Dr. John Rickert, F.SS.P giving the sermon and Fr. P. Klein celebrant. The formal request to offer the TLM at the historic church of SS. Peter & Paul had not yet been given! Nevertheless,the TLM mass is offered on 1st Sat. in Hugoton, KS and depending on circumstances, offered once during the week. Fortunately, Fr. Rene provides the consistent offering of the TLM every week.
15 August, 2009
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Words of Wisdom
Put all the good works in the world against one Holy Mass.
They will be as a grain of sand beside a mountain.
St. John Vianney
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St Theresa Hutchinson Kansas
While in Hutchinson this week I stopped in at St. Teresa, a beautiful old church which has undergone some recent renovation. The smell of incense was still in the air as I walked into the quiet afternoon light. The ornate high altar stood proudly, the refurbished original tabernacle gleamed in the light streaming from windows above and the votive candles flickered in front of traditional side altars. In the pews sat prayer cards with the Sanctus and Agnus Dei in Latin...a nice touch.
What a wonderful old church. Please follow the link to see other pictures....forgive the poor quality of pictures as I used my phone to take the shots at http://picasaweb.google.com/bumpy187/StTheresaSOfHutchinsonKansas#
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