Brick By Brick

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Fr. Ross Bartley Celebrates First Tridentine Mass

Tridentine Community News (March 20, 2011):

Many readers of this column know Fr. Ross Bartley, former Assistant Pastor of Windsor’s Assumption Church. Fr. Ross has long had an interest in the Extraordinary Form of Holy Mass and often sat in choir during the Masses at Assumption.

Now assigned to the cluster of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, and Our Lady of Mercy Churches in Sarnia, Ontario, Fr. Bartley celebrated his first Tridentine Holy Mass on Saturday, March 5 at St. Edward on the Lake in Lakeport, Michigan, just north of Port Huron. A number of individuals from Assumption and St. Josaphat attended.

We congratulate Fr. Ross and look forward to his celebrating the Extraordinary Form again soon – and often.


Pontifical Mass in DC Cancelled

On the national scene, we have some good news and bad news to report. Bad news first:

The previously announced Pontifical Solemn Mass at Washington, DC’s National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, originally scheduled for Saturday, April 9, has been canceled. The celebrant, Archbishop DiNoia, had to bow out, and permission for an alternate celebrant could not be obtained. The Paulus Institute, organizers of the event, promises similar events in the future.

First Tridentine Mass at St. Paul Church, Cambridge, MA

Now for the good news, something that seemed inevitable someday, yet it nevertheless a pleasant surprise:

St. Paul Church in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, will be holding its first Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form this Friday, August 25 at 6:00 PM, for the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Harvard Knights of Columbus Chapter and the newly-formed Harvard Latin Mass Society are the organizers of this Mass. At press time, the first Mass was scheduled to be a Low Mass.

Regular readers of this column will recognize St. Paul’s as the home of the Boston Archdiocesan [Boys’] Choir School, founded by the late Gregorian Chant scholar Dr. Theodore Marier, and for most of its recent history led by Dr. Marier’s assistant and worthy successor, organ scholar John Dunn. This year, former Canterbury Cathedral Assistant Organist and choir conductor John Robinson took over as Music Director, promising to continue the school’s tradition of musical and liturgical excellence. During the school year, the boys’ choir sings at the weekday 8:00 AM Mass, and on Sundays is joined by the parish’s Men’s Schola for the 11:00 AM Choral Mass, both of which are Ordinary Form Masses accompanied by English and Latin chant and polyphony. Learn more about the Choir School at their newly revamped web site, www.bostonboychoir.org.


In this writer’s experience, St. Paul’s is the “perfect storm” of a world-class liturgical music program, superlative church acoustics, and two organs precisely matched to a beautiful, historic church building. A Tridentine Mass celebrated there with the prodigious musical talents available would likely set a very high standard, in line with their renowned Novus Ordo Masses. Let us pray that St. Paul’s will offer a High Mass in the future, ideally involving the Choir School and Men’s Schola. In the meantime, the architecturally intact church will make a fitting home for the Traditional Mass, even without musical accompaniment.

At least one of our readers is planning to attend this Mass and will file a report for us.

Bishop Anthony Daniels Appointed to Grand Falls

Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI has named Diocese of London, Ontario Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Daniels as Bishop of Grand Falls, Newfoundland. Bishop Daniels has been a good friend to the Windsor Tridentine Mass Community, having provided wise counsel and assistance over the years. We ask your prayers for His Excellency as he embarks on this new assignment.

Tridentine Masses This Coming Week

Mon. 03/21 7:00 PM: Low Mass at St. Josaphat (Feria of Monday in the Second Week of Lent)

Tue. 03/22 7:00 PM: Low Mass at Assumption-Windsor (Feria of Tuesday in the Second Week of Lent)

Fri. 03/25 7:00 PM: High Mass at St. Josaphat (The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

[Comments? Please e-mail tridnews@stjosaphatchurch.org. Previous columns are available at www.stjosaphatchurch.org. This edition of Tridentine Community News, with minor editions, is from the St. Josaphat bulletin insert for March 20, 2011. Hat tip to A.B.]