Good news from Charlotte

Dr. Philip Blosser, author of the blog, "Musings of a Pertinacious Papist," reprints an article in the The Catholic News & Herald, Dec. 21, 2007 by Karen A. Evans. Here is an interesting segment of that article:

"The main benefit of Pope Benedict's document is two-fold," Bishop Peter J. Jugis said. "It recognizes the beauty and legitimacy of the extraordinary form of the Mass and promotes the unity of the faithful because, as Pope Benedict has noted, there are people devoted to this form of the Mass."

"Both forms of the Mass are legitimate means of worship; we don't want to hurt or leave people behind because of their devotion to earlier liturgical forms," said Bishop Jugis.

"We've had a good response from our priests wanting to celebrate using the 1962 missal," said Bishop Jugis. "However, many of them need to learn the rubrics and details of the 1962 missal."

Therefore, 14 priests from the Diocese of Charlotte participated in a five-day training session on the 1962 missal in Hickory Dec 17-21. They studied the rituals of the missal and the prayers, which are recited in Latin.

But diocesan priests won't be the only ones brushing up on their Latin.

"Catechesis will be necessary for parishioners, as well, to fully appreciate the Mass of the 1962 missal," said Bishop Jugis.

"The major differences between the ordinary and extraordinary forms of Mass you'll notice are the priests' orientation during the liturgy and the use of Latin prayers," said the bishop.

Blosser goes on to note in an aside at the end of this piece:

One of those letters Bishop Jugis received was mine; and I am most pleased to see the generous spirit with which His Excellency has responded to the Holy Father's Motu Proprio. I am especially delighted to note that the training sessions for the 14 priests took place (presumably at the Catholic Conference Center) in Hickory, NC, which has been my home for the last twenty years. I am almost certain that one of these 14 priests was a former student of mine, whose Christmas card I just received, forwarded to me in Detroit with the remark that he is studying with other priests of the diocese to learn the Tridentine Mass. I have always admired this priest, for many reasons. Here, it seems to me, he has precisely the right attitude toward those who ask for the extraordinary form of the Mass. There is no politicizing of the issue. No grandstanding resistance or ostentatious embrace. Like the good Bishop, he simply sees a need, and as a shepherd of his flock, he steps in to meet that need. Thank you all!

Read the entire post here!