Introduction/Welcome

I've been learning a lot about the traditional Mass and about the church-especially the people who attend the traditional (or Tridentine) Mass.

I've been trying to improve my spiritual life-after all neither the world nor I are getting younger. I wanted and still want to be in a state of grace when I leave the earth. In fact I want to become a great saint and be in a state of grace all the time.

I was praying for some kind of help in becoming that holy person I'd like to be. It hasn't been that easy being that kind of person. And it still isn't.

Meanwhile I started getting a newsletter from a community of Roman Catholic priests who celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass (or the Tridentine Mass.) I don't know how I got on their list, but I'm glad I did.

They had some really good articles written by really good Catholics. And their seminary has been attracting vocations like crazy. And the Church can use as many good priests as it can get. Now this community of priests, the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter or FSSP, is trying to raise money for their seminary, Our Lady of Guadelupe, so they can accommodate more seminarians.

I was quite impressed. Other communities and the diocesan priesthood as far as I know are still suffering a lack of vocations. For example, the Holy Cross Fathers (CSC) which serve at several of our parishes in South Bend, Indiana, claimed to be burying more priests than they ordain.

And the Tridentine Masses are more popular among young people who weren't around before Vatican II then they are among older people who have been raised on this Mass. Because of all these things, I've been wanting to go to one of these Masses celebrated by the FSSP.

I found out our Bishop gave them the go-ahead to have the FSSP say Masses in our diocese. The one in our area was originally at a church that was on the west end of town and I was almost downtown. I found out that the church I've been going to had Latin Masses. I've been wanting to go to at least one, but the Mass starts at 7:45 am and I'm not a morning person. And the people who have been picking me up chose to go to the English Masses-especially the 10:30 one. So when they told me they were going out of town one weekend I decided to attend the Latin Mass.

I went to a nearby ATM, withdrew some money, set my alarm, went to bed early, got up early, and took a cab to church. It was a beautiful Mass. I could tell by the priest having his back turned to us during the Mass that it was the Traditional form. I found out that this was the same group of people who had the Latin Mass at the other parish. I got hooked on this traditional form instantly and took a cab again in a couple weeks to the Mass.

After that I went to every Sunday Mass they had as well as an Ash Wednesday and Ascension Thursday Mass done by the same priest.

When this priest returned one of my calls last week I toldhim what I liked the most about the Mass-the cross on his vestment when he's facing in the same direction as the other people present. What a great reminder of Who's really in charge-and it's Jesus Himself-not the priest. Of course I like a lot of other things about the Mass beside the cross on the priest's back.

I sat in on a Confirmation class he taught this year and learned a lot of things I didn't learn from my previous religious instruction.

Now I want to read as much as I can on the Tridentine Mass as well as those who either celebrate the Mass or attend it. I'll be happy to have daily Tridentine Masses in my area when we have a priest up here full time-not just one who drives from one part of the diocese to another so we can have a Latin Mass.

It's getting late now and I'm getting tired. God bless you.

-paula