Pinewood Castle

TLM Mass

The first TLM Mass in Robbinsdale began the first Sunday of Lent. For now, it is a Low Mass on a side altar. About 75 were in attendance. Spread the word if you know anyone interested.

Spreading the Wealth

 There will finally be a TLM on the west side of the Twin Cities! Beginning next Sunday, the first Sunday in Lent, the Church of the Sacred Heart in Robbinsdale will begin a weekly Traditional Latin Mass at 11:30 a.m.

Church of the Sacred Heart
Fr. Bryan J. B. Pedersen
4087 West Broadway
Robbinsdale, Minnesota 55422
Phone: 763-537-4561

A New Year

Do you make resolutions? Seems kind of redundant for Catholics. I mean, we make then during Lent. We make some during Advent. We make them when we pray the Act of Contrition and when we go to confession. And I think at those times and in that context we get the grace from God to actually stick to them.

But it doesn't stop me from making them anyway, along with many plans for the new year. So my list for 2009 is an odd mix of resolutions and plans. It looks something like this:

• exercise regularly (after cleaning the basement and reacquainting myself with my treadmill I already feel like less of a blob!)
• start program with nutritionist/chiropractor I've been seeing after the car accident for health overhaul (further thyroid testing, low glycemic diet, de-tox program)
• get mercury fillings out now that the baby is weaned
• read more
• knit more - learn to knit more than just scarves
• bake more bread
• join YMCA this summer
• cook more meals for the freezer for easier weeknights
• go to the North Shore and Canada this summer
• explore future career ideas for my empty nest years (I need more social security points!)
• more love

The last one is the one that's really been bugging me. I need to take some time to recharge my love batteries.

When I struggle daily to get the kids to obey promptly I think "Love makes obedience easy. How much do I really love them and do they really love me? Do I model politeness and patience or are they just deaf and resistant to remembering the steps of our well-posted routines?"

When my husband and I quarrel or at a stand-off I think, "CLANGING CYMBAL!"

And most of all with prayer and Catholic devotions that sometimes feel tedious I think, "True love of God should really be the foundation out of which these devotions flow" and wonder if my efforts are sincere. More on this later - it's on my heart after reading Called Out of Darkness, conversion story of author Ann Rice (thanks, Sheri!)

So this is a small part of my ongoing conversion - more love. Taking joy in serving my family. With real love for God as the foundation of it all.

Thank you, everyone who reads this, for your support and friendship.

I wish you many blessings and graces for the New Year. Pray for me and I will and do pray for you too!

Tracy

When One Door Closes . . .

another one opens!

The once-a-month Traditional Latin Mass in the little country church just 20 minutes from home will be coming to an end next month. The generous priest who offered to provide this Mass is just too busy to continue without other priests to rotate Sundays. We were all deeply saddened by the news.

Shortly after this announcement we heard a rumor of another Traditional Mass starting up that proved to be true - every 1st and 3rd Sunday (and 5th if there is one) the Church of St. Agnes will offer the Mass at 10 am! Yes, this is still an hour away for us, but St. Agnes is a pretty special place known around the world since 1974 for incorporating the Viennese classical Masses with choir and orchestra into the New Mass in Latin. We're talking Mozart, Beethoven Schubert Masses sung by the Twin Cities Catholic Chorale founded by the late and great Monsignor Richard J. Schuler.

Here are some links (with photos!) about the first Traditional Mass at St. Agnes in forty years:
Stella Borealis Catholic Roundtable
Chris & Co

HT: Kansas Catholic Blogspot

Missa Solemnis

Look what we found in the Sunday paper this morning: Missa solemnis.

Rev. John Echert offers the Traditional Mass at Holy Trinity, the parish mentioned in the article, as well as St. Augustine's.  We have attended the indult Mass at the Church of St. Augustine sporadically for the last eight years since moving to Minnesota and it has been interesting and heartening to see the pews fill up since Fr. Echert's arrival. 

We no longer live close enough to enjoy any weekday parish activities (like the Bible study I used to attend) but my husband now attends Mass there three Sundays a month and Holy Days.  When I feel up to a day trip the children and I go with him.  In fact, St. Augustine's is our destination today, followed by an excursion to St. Paul's Landmark Center for A Scottish Ramble.

 

*** I might add that the journalist who penned the Missa solemnis article referred to "a splinter group" as the Society of St. Pius V.  I think he must mean the Society of St. Pius X. 

Latin Mass NW Metro

The next Latin Mass at St. Walburga's in Fletcher (part of Mary Queen of Peace/Rogers) will be this coming Sunday the 10th at 1:00 pm offered by Fr. Timothy Cloutier.

The church is just west of 94, at Territorial Road and Fletcher Lane.