July 6, 2007

This one's for you, Ma!

This is a July 5, 2007 entry I made (partly in response to the availability of the Latin Tridentine Mass now being advanced by Pope Benedict XVI) in the personal blog of Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the Cardinal Archbishop of Boston (http://www.cardinalseansblog.org)

Your Eminence,

What an honor it is to be able to address my comments to a Prince of the Church. My mother (gone home to God last year) used to say that if she ever had the occasion to meet a Cardinal of the Church she would probably faint. When I had the honor of receiving the Eucharist from you during your recent visit to the Fatima Shrine in Holliston a few weeks ago, I didn’t faint, but on the way out of the church to join the rosary procession, I whispered “This one’s for you, Ma!”

Cardinal Sean, please, please don’t underestimate the importance of the Latin liturgy to the Faithful. The Tridentine Masses of my childhood (including my struggles to learn my Latin responses as a young altar boy!) remain some of my fondest memories. I’m sure many others of my generation (late 50’s) feel the same way, and I’m also sure that younger Catholics would appreciate the beauty of the liturgy as our forefathers celebrated it. With the utmost respect and affection, I urge you to actively promote the use of Latin in the Archdiocese of Boston. May God continue to bless you in all that you do.

Vivat Jesus!