Our Lady of Mercy Solemn Mass Recap

Enjoy these beautiful pictures from the Solemn Mass celebrated at St. Rocco Church for the feast of Our Lady of Mercy. Special thanks to Fr. Michael Donovan, O. de M., Fr. Bede Kotlinski, OSB, and Br. David Spencer, O. de M., as well as the St. Stephen schola for providing the music, and Fr. Michael Franz, pastor of St. Stephen, for loaning the gorgeous vestments.

And congratulations to the members of the Mercedarian Third Order, who renewed their promises following the Mass.

Solemn High Mass, Sept. 24, Our Lady of Mercy

In celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Mercy, St. Rocco Church will offer a Solemn High Mass on Saturday,  September 24, 2011, at 9:00am. This is an important feast to the Mercedarian Order.

The Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy, founded in 1218, is an international community of priests and brothers, who live a life of prayer and communal fraternity based on the Rule of Saint Augustine and the Constitutions of the Order.

From this life flows the apostolic work of the Order that seeks to carry on the work of our founder, Saint Peter Nolasco, who in imitation of Jesus the Redeemer, offered even his life for those Christians in need of redemptive love.

 Information on the Mercedarian Order can be found here.

On Saturday, September 24th, the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the Redemption of Captives celebrates the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mercy. The title of "Mercy" (Ransom) for Our Lady has its origins in the Order founded by St. Peter Nolasco in 1218. Through Divine intervention and the assistance of the Virgin Mary of Mercy, the Order was founded to visit and free Christians who were being held in captivity on account of their Faith. The Order has always attributed to Mary a special participation in its foundation.  For this reason the Order has always honored Mary under the title of Mercy (Ransom) with particular devotion since its beginning and in accordance with its founder, St. Peter Nolasco, who in 1249, dedicated a church in her honor.  In 1600, permission was granted to celebrate on the feast of the Nativity of Mary a special liturgy dedicated under the title of "Mercy".  In 1696, the feast was extended to the whole Church.

Looking for More Servers

Immaculate Conception in Willoughby, Ohio, is looking for more servers for their Latin Masses. We received the following request to post.

If you know of anyone who might be interested in this, please pass this on:
Men, do you want to learn how to serve the Traditional Latin Low Mass?  Immaculate Conception in Willoughby is looking for more servers.

Call Matt Lewis at 440-942-2189 or email vocemur@yahoo.com if you are interested!!!

 Serving at the Altar of God is a privilege beyond measure.

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, St. Stephen's

St. Stephen's will offer High Mass on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Wednesday, September 14, 2011. Mass will be at 6:30pm.

The noted Benedictine Abbot Dom Prosper Gueranger, in his masterful 15-volumed The Liturgical Year, expresses:

"Never had Satan's pride met with such humiliation as when he saw the instrument of our perdition made the instrument of our salvation. As the Church expresses it in her Preface for Passiontide: 'He that overcame mankind by a Tree, was overcome by a Tree.' Thus foiled, he vented his fury upon this saving Wood, which so bitterly reminded him both of the irresistible power of his conqueror and of the dignity of man who had been redeemed at so great a price. He would fain have annihilated the Cross; but knowing that this was beyond his power, he endeavored to profane it, and hide it from view. He therefore instigated the Jews to bury it. At the foot of Calvary, not far from the sepulchre, was a deep hole. Into this was the Cross thrown, together with those of the two thieves, the Nails, the Crown of Thorns, and the Inscription or Title written by Pilate. The hole was then filled up with rubbish and earth, and the Sanhedrin exulted in the thought of its having effaced the memory of the Nazarene, Who could not save Himself from the ignominious death of the Cross. Forty years after this, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, the instruments of God's vengeance. The Holy Places were desecrated by idolaters. A small temple to Venus was erected on Calvary, and another to Jupiter over the Holy Sepulchre. By this, the pagans intended derision; whereas, they were perpetuating the knowledge of two spots of most sacred interest."

Pictures: Latin Mass and Inter Parish Picnic

A reader sent in these pictures from the August 27 Latin Mass celebrated at Mother of Sorrows parish in Peninsula, Ohio.