Te Deum laudamus!: Assumption 2009

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Monday, August 17, 2009

2009 Feast of the Assumption at Assumption Grotto - Evening Mass with Archbishop Vigneron and Candlelight Procession

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This is the third, and final photo post of the Feast of the Assumption at Assumption Grotto in 2009. Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron was the main celebrant for the Latin Novus Ordo (post-Vatican II Mass) which was celebrated ad orientem at the old wall altar.

For those unfamiliar with this posture of the celebrant, where he faces the wall altar, it is most associated with the extraordinary form of the Mass (1962 Missal). However, it is also a valid posture in the ordinary form of the Mass (post-Vatican II). At Assumption Grotto, all Masses are celebrated at the wall altar - a preference of priests and laity alike at the parish.

There is a spiritual side to this that may seem difficult to comprehend for people accustomed to the priest facing the people, or versus populum. When people ask me how we at Grotto could like this posture, I explain it this way:

We seek not the face of the priest in the Mass, but the face of Almighty God!

From a personal standpoint, the ad orientem posture enables me to follow the priest who, in persona Christi, leads us in prayer. There is a contemplative dimension to the Mass and I have found that this posture allows for deeper focus on the Mystery taking place.

I can tell you that Grotto-goers found it heart-warming that our Archbishop would celebrate the newer form of the Mass using a posture and other valid options familiar to us - like Latin. Archbishop Vigneron can celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass (1962 Missal), but it was not practical to have a Pontifical High Mass this time. The invitation was sent out with very little notice and time to prepare - for the parish and the archbishop. We are hopeful that he will eventually celebrate such a Mass in the future at our parish. Some bishops have started offering Confirmations in the Extraordinary Form and perhaps that opportunity will happen here in Detroit in due time.

We start with the procession into the Church.

As you will see in pictures here, the Church was at max capacity, with people standing outside the front doors. It reached 90 degrees after weeks of unseasonably cool weather. It was very hot in the building, but it is something we just deal with. Many braved that heat to honor Our Lady along with fully vested archbishop and priests, Knights in full color, and altar boys in multiple layers.

Our choir and a 17 member orchestra peformed Mozart's coronation Mass under the direction of our Pastor, Rev. Eduard Perrone, in what was probably the hottest place in the building - the choir loft. I couldn't help thinking about our brethren in other parts of the world who are in climates hotter than ours without air conditioners, and our ancestors who never had such luxuries. Many rightly offered their suffering as prayers.

Below (left to right) is transitional deacon, John Dumas, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, Deacon James Gennette, Fr. John Bustamante, Fr. Paul Ward, Fr. Lee Acervo, and the newly ordained Fr. Charles White IV who celebrated his first Mass (Solemn High) at Assumption Grotto on Pentecost this year. Not pictured was another newly ordained priest on the other side of the sanctuary, Fr. Michael Wilkes, along with Fr. Matthew Hincks, ORC and Fr. John Britto, ORC.

Transitional Deacon - John Dumas - reads the Gospel.

I regret that I do not have the homily, written or in audio. I was going to ask for a copy of it, but it was unscripted to the best of my knowledge. The archbishop was very passionate and I regret not having a way to audio record it with reasonable quality. I do know the people of Real Catholic TV were there attempting to get good audio along with the video. We will have to wait to see if it turned out.

Fr. Charles Fox, the archbishop's secretary, stands in the background.

Would you like to see more pictures from this feast day? You can check out my first two photo posts from earlier in the day. Also click the smugmug links to see all 180 photos from the day in slideshow format (hint: click "fast" in the upper left area after starting the slideshow), or use other options for viewing them.

From my Smugmug site:

Assumption 2009 Slideshow (180 photos)
Assumption 2009 Gallery
Assumption 2009 Lightbox
My Smugmug homepage for many other photos

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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!

2009 Feast of the Assumption at Assumption Grotto - Eucharistic Adoration & Afternoon Procession

This is the second of three posts for the 2009 Feast of the Assumption at Assumption Grotto in Detroit (see links to other posts, and more, at the bottom of this post). I will add text before certain sets of photos below to explain what is going on.

Eucharistic Adoration was held in the Church from 11:00am until 3:00pm. In many other photos you will see on this blog of Adoration, you'll notice that the Seat of Wisdom statue directly behind the monstrance is covered. However, on Marian feast days, it is not covered, as seen here.

At 3:00pm, the Blessed Sacrament is processed out to the Grotto.

A living Rosary is then led by Fr. Perrone. People line up and one by one they step up to a microphone and recite the first half of the Hail Mary, and the people follow with the other half.

After the living Rosary, the priests annointed the sick and the elderly. This was not a blanket access to the Sacrament for anyone wanting it. Rather, it was explained that certain conditions must be met for people to present themselves. They must be properly disposed and confessions are heard earlier in the afternoon. While some were sick with things like cancer, or other life threatening conditions, many of the elderly were annointed, as they are permitted, even though they may not be sick. Not pictured this year, is the Benediction which followed before the procession back to the Church, of the Blessed Sacrament.

A visiting priest from the Oxford Oratory in the UK who was staying with a Grotto family. Read about the the Congregation of the Oratory here.

Be sure to see the first of three photoposts from earlier in the day, and photos of the climax of the day - the 7:00pm Mass with Archbishop Vigneron and candlelight procession in the final photo post. The last post also contains links to more of the 180 photos. These posts reflect only a sampling.

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

2009 Feast of the Assumption at Assumption Grotto - Morning and Afternoon

In this first of 3 photopost for the 2009 Feast of the Assumption at Assumption Grotto, we start with the 9:30am Mass in the extraordinary form (often referred to by the misnomer, "Tridentine").

Since the feast fell on a Saturday, it was not a holy day of obligation in our diocese, but as you will seem many came to honor the the Blessed Virgin Mary on her feast day, regardless.

The Noon Mass, also pictured below, was a Solemn High Mass with Fr. Eduard Perrone - Grotto's pastor - as the celebrant, Fr. Paul Ward as the Deacon of the Mass, and Fr. John Bustamante as sub-deacon.

The second of three photoposts will feature Eucharistic Adoration, the Eucharistic procession to the Grotto, and the annointing & blessing of the sick.

The last photopost will feature the 7:00pm Mass with Archbishop Vigneron and concelebrants, and the candlelight procession. There, you will be able to get a link to see all of the 180 photos uploaded to my smugmug site from throughout the day.

This first pic, taken as Fr. John awaits the start of the 9:30am Mass, reveals the beauty of the old chasuble worn by all celebrants on this feast day.