Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Our Lady Immaculate Parish in Athol, Massachusetts: A circus-like atmosphere inspired by lukewarm clerics




Father Peter M.J. Stravinskas, Ph.D., S.T.L., in "The Catholic Answer, Book 2" says that,"Socializing is inappropriate in the body of the Church; that is for the vestibule and parish hall." (p. 195).  Monsignor Peter J. Elliott, in his book entitled Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite, has this to say: "The Church should be open well before the liturgy for those who wish to pray privately.  Silence is the best preparation for the celebration of the liturgy.  Apart from suitable music, no intrusion on the people's right to tranquility before the Eucharist should be tolerated, for example, musical or choral rehearsals, announcements which could be given later, or distractions in the sanctuary or elsewhere.  People may meet and talk before Mass, but in an area set well apart from the place where the liturgy is about to be celebrated." (Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite, No. 233, p. 87).

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal has this to say: "Sacred silence also, as part of the celebration, is to be observed at the designated times....Its purpose, however, depends on the time it occurs in each part of the celebration. Thus within the Act of Penitence and again after the invitation to pray, all recollect themselves; but at the conclusion of a reading or the homily, all meditate briefly on what they have heard; then after Communion, they praise and pray to God in their hearts. Even before the celebration itself, it is commendable that silence be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room, and in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred action in a devout and fitting manner."  (GIRM, No. 45).

Silence should also be observed after Mass until one is outside the Church building, both for respect toward the Blessed Sacrament, and toward those members of the faithful who wish to prolong their thanksgiving after Mass.

At Our Lady Immaculate parish in Athol, Massachusetts, there is no silence before Holy Mass, no reverence.  This because there is no real leadership or holy example there.  It is routine practice for Catholics to disrespect Jesus' Presence in the Most Blessed Sacrament while keeping other Catholics from their prayer.  See the above video taken this past Saturday at the parish's 4 PM Vigil Mass.

In the Church, everyone has a duty to be salt and light and to work for the renewal of society.  Deacons are no exception.  The Constitution on the Church [Lumen Gentium] of the Second Vatican Council had this to say: "At a lower level of the hierarchy are deacons, upon whom hands are imposed 'not unto the priesthood, but unto a ministry of service.'  For strengthened in sacramental grace, in communion with the bishop and his group of priests they serve in the diaconate of the liturgy, of the Word, and of charity to the People of God...Dedicated to duties of charity and administration, let deacons be mindful of the admonition of Blessed Polycarp: 'Be merciful, diligent, walking according to the truth of the Lord, who became the servant of all.'" (Lumen Gentium, No. 29).  Later in the same document we read, "Ministers of lesser rank are also sharers in the mission and grace of the supreme priest" and that Deacons are "dispensers of Christ's mysteries and servants of the Church" who should in holiness "stand before men as personifications of goodness and friends of God." (Lumen Gentium, No. 41).

But the Deacons who "serve" at Our Lady Immaculate are not "personifications of goodness" or "charity to the People of God."  Neither Deacon Scott Colley [who has displayed hatred toward me for defending reverence at Mass, see here] nor Deacon James Linderman serve as models for prayer.  In fact, Deacon Linderman spent his time before Mass (as usual) engaging in loud conversation with several people in the congregation, and especially with two women who sing in the choir. It was Deacon Linderman who interrupted my Rosary before a Christmas Eve Mass several years ago - his attitude seems to be "If I'm not going to pray, neither are you."

Father Vincent Miceli, S.J., reminded us some years back, "Rampant immorality is [an] obstacle opposing the work of evangelization.  Since conduct follows from convictions, once Catholics cancel their creed from their lives, their conduct inevitably becomes depraved....The decay on all sides of Christian morals makes it not only difficult to bring in those outside the Church, but even to stay in themselves and hold their fellow Catholics within the Church." (Essay entitled The Evangelization of the United States).

It is no surprise that OLI has succumbed to a circus-like atmosphere.  The Deacons do not pray.  And the people are following their bad example.



8 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:13 AM

    Who took the video? Is taking a video conducive to recollection?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Eric Levan12:19 PM

    It is when you're quietly praying, yes. Not being a Worcester Diocese cleric, we are capable of holding a camera while concentrating on prayer.

    We're not all intellectually- challenged like you Deacon.

    ReplyDelete
  3. IN T H E S I L E N C E

    In the silence of my heart
    I come to love You
    Oh My Lord
    To praise and worship You
    My Master and My Savior
    No words are spoken between us
    Only so soft a whisper
    And in my soul
    An outpouring of so much
    Undeserved love and grace
    For
    How often do I desert You
    Thinking You don't love me
    Forgetting about You
    Oh, how stupid and ungrateful
    Then I am
    For
    Without You I'm nothing
    But a trembling reed
    A creature full of fear
    But,
    Your creature sure I am
    For this immensely grateful
    Oh You, fullness of my soul
    Reason for my existence
    Sole purpose of my life
    Object of my deepest thoughts
    My God and my Almighty
    I will serve You and obey
    Surrender to Your Will divine
    Embrace me with Your burning warmth
    Cradle me in Your Fatherly arms
    Oh, my well-beloved
    Let me borrow from Your Love
    Let Your Mercy shine upon me,
    Your poor and littlest child
    So, that with Your Grace
    I will proclaim
    Your Greatness,
    Your Goodness and
    Your Name
    Through my work and being !!

    Rita Biesemans 7-27-1999

    ReplyDelete

  4. CONVERSATION WITH JESUS IN THE HOLY TABERNACLE

    I can live without fancy goods
    without flamboyant clothes or foods
    but not without my Jesus, my God, my Lord
    My Master, my Savior, my eternal Reward

    Although You, I don’t deserve
    don’t let me make the swerve
    from the saving, Heavenly route
    I would be lost without a doubt

    I hear You say : I set you apart
    feel the beating of My Heart
    it beats with love for you
    believe it or not, but it is true

    Ask Me everyday for this gift
    for My love for you knows no thrift
    for you I still have so much in store
    but first go close the back door

    I won’t allow you to escape
    from the stage of the great reshape
    once completed I might call you home
    freed from the human pressure dome.

    Thank you, My daughter for visiting Me, for consoling Me in MY loneliness

    Rita Biesemans, December 15 2013

    ReplyDelete
  5. To the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit

    O Master, Creator of the Universe
    I praise, adore and worship Thee
    with You my soul wants to converse
    though the words are lacking me.

    I want to hear that inner Voice
    so powerful and so inviting
    away from world's distracting noise
    is there anything more exciting ?

    Thank You, my Father and my Lord,
    for Your healing and Salvation
    through You my soul is restored
    from hunger and severe dehydration.

    O Holy Spirit, let me never forget
    that I live for, through and in You
    that this world is but an outlet
    to the eternal life, to pursue !

    Rita Biesemans, March 6 2012

    ReplyDelete
  6. Samantha7:43 PM

    For the most part, your right to take photographs and video in public places in the United States is protected under the First Amendment under free speech. This includes snapping pictures of your favorite monument when you're on vacation.

    People in public spaces have no reasonable expectation of privacy unless they are in a space such as a public bathroom or dressing room.

    Good for you exposing the irreverence at OLI.

    Sad!

    ReplyDelete
  7. To the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit

    O Master, Creator of the Universe
    I praise, adore and worship Thee
    with You my soul wants to converse
    though the words are lacking me.

    I want to hear that inner Voice
    so powerful and so inviting
    away from world's distracting noise
    is there anything more exciting ?

    Thank You, my Father and my Lord,
    for Your healing and Salvation
    through You my soul is restored
    from hunger and severe dehydration.

    O Holy Spirit, let me never forget
    that I live for, through and in You
    that this world is but an outlet
    to the eternal life, to pursue !

    Rita Biesemans, March 6 2012

    ReplyDelete
  8. BeaconStreetCatholic1:10 PM

    Colley is not inspiring as a Deacon. He comes across as lazy and bored. By his own admission, he deserted the Church a couple of times when he was younger. He doesn't appear to have any prayer life whatsoever, which is why he fits in nicely at OhowiLIe.

    Deacon Linderman isn't any better and comes across as mentally unstable in my opinion as I have witnessed him standing on the sanctuary and quietly laughing like the little possessed girl Megan in The Exorcist.

    ReplyDelete