NOTE: This post is being updated with additional parishes offering early morning Masses, so check back.
Cardinal Arinze preaching from the pulpit at Ss Cyril & Methodius
at the 2010 Lenten Symposium
Oh my... what a blow to many people, and I'm sure a decision Fr. Ben Kosnac made with a heavy heart.
Over at nearby Ss. Cyril & Methodius in Sterling Heights, many - including Grotto parishioners who live or work on that end of town - took advantage of the working-class, daily Mass that was offered at 6:00am for many years. I would estimate that no less than 40 were at this Mass daily, and on one First Friday, there were over 100.
During this time, Fr. Ben has always had an associate priest, and some senior priests in residence who were able to cover the many weekday Masses the parish had (the 9:00am and Noon daily Masses were even more crowded than the 6:00am Mass by 2-3 times). These are often temporary assignments for associate priests and it's time for Fr. Libor to move on. I'm sure Fr. Ben did everything he could to find a way to keep the popular, early morning Mass, but at this time, it just is not meant to be.
We will discuss alternative solutions. But, first from the bulletin:
Assumption Grotto has a 7:30am Mass which is a High Mass in the Extraordinary Form. It ends around 8:10am, give or take 5 minutes. Some days there is a homilette, some days not. For many working class people, especially those who work in the suburbs, this comes too late. Some of us have been petitioning Fr. Perrone to shift to 7:00am, but thus far, it is not working - LOL. For me, even a 7:15am start time would help greatly.
As it is now, I must depart immediately after receiving Communion to make it to work by 8:30am. When winter arrives, it may become prohibitive altogether at 7:30am. It may not make any difference, but do let Fr. Perrone know if an earlier start would make the difference for you. Perhaps he will have mercy on us.
Grotto is home to a large secular Carmelite community and many try to make it to daily Mass. There is also a secular Franciscan community and many apostolates which highly recommend daily Mass.
Assumption Grotto also has a 7:00pm Mass. While I take these in when I cannot make a morning Mass it has one major drawback for me. Each night that I go to Mass is a night when nothing else can be done. There is only time to go to work, have dinner, go to Mass, come home and pretty much get ready for bed. No time for laundry, no time to do bills, or any of the ordinary things that working lay people must tend to during the week. Don't get me wrong.... I'm very, very grateful for that evening Mass which we have mainly because we still have an associate. It's technically feasible, but not practical for many working lay people.
St. Anne's in Warren has had a 6:15am Mass. I believe this is still the case, even though it is not listed on their Mass schedule online. The pastor, Fr. Bondy, did this early morning Mass when he was pastor of St. Clement's in Centerline in addition to his later morning Mass. He continued that when being transferred to St. Anne's, doing two daily Masses. He liked to see working people come to Mass.
Over a year ago, Fr. Bondy got an associate pastor, Fr. Koshy, who is from India (he also ministers to a local ethnic community). The two rotate between the 6:15am Mass and the 8:00am Mass. I have assisted at the early-bird Mass in the past. It is a reverently celebrated, straightforward, ordinary form Mass which lasts about 25 minutes, complete with a 3 minute homilette. Father Bondy once told me that he would like nothing more than to move that early morning Mass from the small side chapel, out in to the main Church should it grow. Currently, there are between 10-15 who assist at that Mass. The chapel probably holds about 20 comfortably. If he saw a consistent increase, he would probably take it into the main Church.
Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak has a 6:30am Mass. I have never assisted at daily Mass at Shrine, so I don't know how long this normally runs. For those who have, is it more like 45-60 minutes or more like 25-35 minute range?
These have come to me and I will continue to edit others in as I get them:
Our Lady of Good Counsel in Plymouth: Mass is celebrated in the Day Chapel at 6:30 AM and 8:00 AM Monday through Friday and at 7:15 AM on Saturday. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed from 7:00 AM until 8:00 AM Monday through Friday
St. Hugo of the Hills in Bloomfield Hills: 6:10 AM Mass Monday through Friday in the stone chapel that lasts about 20-25 minutes. A half-hour of Eucharistic Adoration begins after Mass, and concludes at 7:00 AM
St. Michael's in Livonia: 6:30am & 8:30 am with Eucharistic Adoration in between.
Other area parishes with early morning Masses? Or, evening Masses?
Please chime in the combox or drop me an email at TeDeumBlog (at) gmail (dot) com and I'll list them. Assumption Grotto has parishioners scattered throughout the diocese since it is mainly a commuter parish. Don't hesitate to name parishes that are at the outer bounds for those who live out there. I'm sure there are a great number of Ss Cyril & Methodius parishioners that will want to know of early Masses, as well. They won't even have an evening Mass to take advantage of. I would expect to see some rise in attendance at Grotto for those able to make one of the two Masses.
Be grateful for what we have!
I really think we need to thank those pastors who consider the working class people in arranging their daily Mass schedules. If you have such a schedule, in Detroit, or elsewhere in the US, don't forget to thank the priest. Some of these guys make great sacrifices to make it possible for people to have an early morning Mass, such as doing two per day. They are then responsible for funerals, or as is the case on many Friday's - weddings. Show your appreciation.
I've been of the opinion for some time now that parishes ought to work together in such a way that one will offer their daily Mass earlier in the day, while another one nearby will offer one a little later, and yet another will hold daily Mass in the evening. I think any archdiocese which encourages this, will find an increase in daily Mass attendance.
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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
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