"THE CHURCH NEEDS SAINTS - NOT REFORMERS..." Bishop Rifan, 11/19/05

The Northeastern Regional Conference was sponsored by ten chapters of UVA: UV Berkshires, Boston, Brooklyn, Bronx, Cape Cod, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Rochester, Syracuse, and Westchester. These ten chapters also bought His Excellency Bp. Rifan a new pontifical ring which was presented to him by Fr. Santos at vespers on Friday.

The conference weekend was a truly a blessed experience for all who attended. The speakers gave insightful and inspiring talks, and all of the liturgies were incredibly beautiful, including the pontifical High Mass, which was celebrated from the throne with the permission of Bishop Tobin of Providence. The weekend would not have been possible without the kind permission of Father Santos of Holy Name of Jesus Church, who opened his church and school for the events. A special "thank you" is extended with much affection to Allen Maynard, host of the conference and president of UV RI and also to his wife Wendy and her crew who did a wonderful job of providing food for the attendees.

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Article on Conference in "The Wanderer"

(nota bene: Fra Fredrik Crichton-Stuart is president of Una Voce Scotland, not Holland as is written in the article, and was recently elected president of FIUV - the International Federation of Una Voce).

Providence Brings Bishop Rifan to Una Voce Conference
The Wanderer 12/1/2005 edition Brian Mershon

Providence Brings Bishop Rifan to Una Voce Conference
By BRIAN MERSHON

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Amidst buzz in Catholic circles about the possibility of an imminent freeing of the classical Roman rite of Mass, Bishop Fernando Rifan offered a Solemn Pontifical Mass from the throne and delivered the keynote address, highlighting the tenth anniversary conference of Una Voce America in Providence, R.I., November 18-20.
And on Saturday morning, he treated Mass attendees with his musical playing ability by slipping down from his chair near the altar to play the organ during the communion of the faithful, as well as for the recessional -- to the delight of those assisting at Holy Mass.
Bishop Rifan is currently the sole bishop in the world with the permission from the Holy See for his diocesan priests to offer the Holy Mass and sacraments exclusively according to the Missal of 1962. He said that the cause of tradition was very hopeful in the new pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI and is currently much brighter in the U.S. than perhaps many realize.
“You have four bishops who allow all their diocesan priests to offer the Traditional Mass [privately] at any time,” Bishop Rifan said. He specifically cited Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis, Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Neb.; Bishop Thomas Doran of Rockford, Ill.; and Bishop Alvaro Corrada, SJ, of Tyler, Texas, who have been generous in the Ecclesia Dei indult application, as requested and emphasized repeatedly by the late Pope John Paul II.
A spokesperson from the Diocese of Lincoln explained that Bishop Bruskewitz requests a “courtesy” from his priests prior to offering the Mass publicly, as it is traditional for the bishop to have jurisdiction over the Masses offered in his diocese. For instance, Spanish, Vietnamese, and all regularly scheduled public liturgies must be offered with the bishop’s knowledge and consent.

Bishop Rifan, the superior of St. John Mary Vianney Apostolic Administration in Campos, Brazil, offered the Holy Sacrifice from the throne with the permission of Bishop Thomas Tobin, and gave encouragement to Una Voce leaders from all over the U.S. and Canada who attended the three-day conference at Holy Name of Jesus Church in downtown Rhode Island.
“Una Voce is a force in the Church now,” Bishop Rifan said to an audience of 200 laymen and women and 10 priests in his keynote address on Saturday, November 19. “We have many hopes with the new Pope, and we must pray for the Pope,” Rifan said.
And perhaps due to the uptick in rumors about a possible pending universal indult for all priests to offer the classical Roman rite, Bishop Rifan emphasized the need for patience. He said that sometimes bishops know things, but the laity must understand they cannot disclose everything confided to them by the Pope. “I will defend you always, especially Una Voce, when I speak to the Pope,” Bishop Rifan said.

The newly elected president of Una Voce International, Fra Fredrik Chrichton-Stuart, president of Una Voce Holland, gave attendees reason for additional hope. He said that Bishop Rifan meets with the Pope often to discuss the concerns and spiritual needs of traditional Catholics, and quoted Msgr. Camille Perl, secretary of the Ecclesia Dei Commission, who recently told Una Voce International leaders: “There is a new wind blowing in the Church,” with Pope Benedict XVI in office. Msgr. Perl also told the Una Voce leadership in an October meeting in Rome that the Ecclesia Dei Commission has been shown a new level of respect since the new Pope has been in office.

Fra Chrichton-Stuart also added that he is aware of many younger priests in the Church who are attracted to the classical Roman rite of Mass. But he also emphasized the need for patience and for praying for the Pope during these early stages of his pontificate.
Both Pope Benedict XVI and Dario Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, prefect of the Congregation of Clergy and president of the Ecclesia Dei Commission, have told Bishop Rifan that traditional Catholics such as the Campos apostolic administration, priests and lay faithful, as well as Una Voce members, are seen as a model for the rest of the Church.
“You are the example in preserving the tradition in full communion with the Holy See,” Bishop Rifan stated Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos told him.
Bishop Rifan said that Catholics had the right to criticize certain problems with the new rite of Mass, and developments after Vatican II, but “with charity and from within the Church.” He also cautioned against a tendency toward over-criticism, especially toward bishops, who represent the apostles and are vested with authority from Jesus Christ.

The Search For Holiness
Fr. Joseph Wilson, associate pastor from St. Luke’s Church of the Diocese of Brooklyn, began the conference with some hard-hitting analysis and questions. “Forty years ago, there were a lot of optimistic books looking for the golden age of the future,” he said. “If the past 40 years has been a renewal, I would really like to see what a disaster looks like,” he said.
Fr. Wilson explained that perhaps in the pursuit of attempting to become more palatable to the world, the Church lost track of its primary mission. He suggested that self-affirmation and the search for sexual autonomy replaced the search for holiness, then this helped to contribute to the current crisis in the Church.
“The Orthodox fast for nearly half the year,” he said. “We have taken many traditions and have decided to ignore them -- to take the easy way out,” he said. He recommended a return to reading the fathers of the Church, and to recapture many of these lost traditions, which the Orthodox have maintained. “We decided the old wisdom no longer applied,” he said.
He explained that the Church leaders, many laity, priests, bishops appear to “have lost the ability of self-reflection.” The “signs of the times” that Gaudium et Spes emphasizes, have not been read well in the past 40 years, according to Fr. Wilson. He encouraged people to read an article headlined “The End of Gaudium et Spes,” by Dr. James Hitchcock, from a previous issue of Catholic World Report.
“How did we lose the ability to criticize ourselves?” he asked. He also said that an accurate reading of “the signs of the times” is necessary in order for the Church to find its way out of the current crisis.
Bishop Rifan indicated that in recent meetings with both Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, he stressed the importance of providing Catholics the full use of the traditional sacraments and devotions so they could conserve the traditional Catholic way of life. “Personal parishes [traditional] are needed,” Bishop Rifan said.

Become A Saint
Other highlights of the conference included Bishop Rifan outlining numerous points on what it means to be a traditional Catholic, as well as an emphasis on the centrality of devotion to the Holy Eucharist. He repeatedly stressed the theological virtue of charity. Reaffirming the proper and rightful place of traditional Catholics within the Church, Bishop Rifan quoted Pope Benedict XVI from the Cologne World Youth Day: “Only saints can restore mankind. The Church does not need reformers -- it needs saints! We will reform the Church by becoming saints,” he said.
“Martin Luther tried to be a reformer,” he said. “St. Athanasius was a saint,” and through the process of becoming one, he reformed the Church.
He also cautioned attendees from paying too much attention to rumors and conspiracy theories. “In my 30 years in the priesthood,” Bishop Rifan said, “I have offered only the Traditional Latin Mass.” He said that because he is a bishop in the Universal Church, he sometimes must attend Masses offered using the Missal of Pope Paul VI.
“However, just because I attend these Masses occasionally, does not mean that I necessarily agree with everything that goes on,” he said.
This may be a reference to some Catholics associated with Society of St. Pius X, currently in dialogue with the Holy See in order to possibly resolve their canonical irregularities (but “not in formal schism,” according to Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos). Some Catholics and web sites sympathetic to the Society of St. Pius X have repeatedly accused Bishop Rifan of “selling out” traditional Catholics due to his occasional attendance at concelebrated Masses with other priests and bishops.
Among other suggestions to Una Voce leaders, he encouraged them to defend “correct ecumenism.” According to Bishop Rifan, this means that with charity in our contacts with non-Catholics, we should “ask them to return” to Christ’s Church, and also pray for their conversions. He said that in Campos, as part of the New Evangelization, his priests and laity engage in door-to-door missions while handing out tracts, and they politely invite those they encounter to consider the truth of Jesus Christ through His Church.

Focus On The Supernatural
Msgr. Michael Schmitz, the U.S. vicar general and provincial for the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, gave a rousing closing talk Sunday afternoon on the importance of tradition. “Many times people have come to me and told me, ‘Father, I know I must become Catholic because I have been to Mass’,” he said.
Msgr. Schmitz also agreed with Bishop Rifan’s positive assessment of tradition in the United States. “American society is much more traditional than European society,” he said. “In Europe, the traditions have been almost destroyed.”
“Tradition in the Church is supernatural, and therefore, we should not speak of the Traditional Latin Mass,” he said. Instead, “we should speak of the Mass because it is God’s Mass; it is the Mass God wants us to celebrate,” Msgr. Schmitz said.
“Many believe that tradition is something dusty -- that the word should be avoided,” he said. He explained that all people, regardless of their religious, or even political, leanings, have a routine, a custom, a tradition they follow on a daily, weekly, and even monthly basis.
Simply speaking, according to Msgr. Schmitz, tradition is “some worthwhile learning that is received by us by someone who gives it.” This “handing on,” is traditio -- the Latin root for tradition. All learning takes place through the use of tradition.
“Education at every level is traditional -- even if sometimes the contents are not worthwhile,” he said. But when tradition is applied to divine Revelation, then tradition’s importance is increased -- “in the realm of God.” Msgr. Schmitz said that Catholics should try to permeate their daily life with tradition through the use of sacramentals, devotions, holy water, and other things to keep the focus on the supernatural.
With regard to Tradition and divine Revelation: “Everything is reception. Everything is gift. Everything is Tradition,” Msgr. Schmidt said. Bishop Rifan emphasized this same theme during his keynote address the previous evening. “To be a traditionalist means to defend the doctrine of Christ as King!” Bishop Rifan declared. “To be a traditionalist means to be attached to the Traditional Latin Mass because it better expresses the Catholic doctrine on the Holy Eucharist,” he said “To be a traditionalist is a Catholic way of life: It is not just the Mass,” he said.

The Reform Of The Reform
Fr. Thomas Kocik, from the Diocese of Fall River, Mass., and author of The Reform of the Reform, published by Ignatius Press, said he believed the 1962 Missal must be the starting point for any reform of the 1970 Missal of Pope Paul VI. “When you are doing a complicated math problem, and it comes out wrong, you go back to the original place where you began to go wrong,” he said. Fr. Kocik said he believed the coexistence of the classical rite of Mass was vital for a proper reform of the current normative rite of Mass.
Fr. Kocik also raised the question as a possibility of the Campos, Brazil, apostolic administration being used as a model diocese, and possibly eventually applied to traditional Catholics throughout the entire Church.
When asked if he thought Pope Benedict XVI would publicly offer the classical Roman rite as Pope in St. Peter’s Basilica, he said he “did not know.” When asked if he thought the Pope should offer it, he said that based upon the Pope’s own positive previous writings about the classical rite, “I think he should.”

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

More Pictures

Please visit Una Voce Rhode Island's website for an extensive collection of conference photos.

Sunday: Pontifical High Mass and Msgr. Schmitz, ICR



The Pontifical High Mass was celebrated "from the throne" with the permission of the Bishop of Providence, His Excellency Bp. Tobin. It was a beautiful Mass, with the lovely singing of the schola and exquisite vestments. Bp. Rifan's gave an edifying sermon and bestowed his apostolic blessing on those there.

Wendy Maynard presented another delicious meal to the attendees after Mass.

Msgr. Schmitz was the speaker for Sunday's program, and he presented a powerful talk on the role of tradition in the Church. He spoke of all the recent successes of the Institute of Christ the King, including a new community of contemplative nuns, the Sisters Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus Christ Sovereign Priest, and new "parishes" across the United States, for example in Kansas City, MO. Msgr. Schmitz spoke also of the centrality of the Mass in all things - it was greatly inspiring for all who attended.

Saturday Evening: Dinner and Bp. Rifan


Group picture from the Marriott Dinner
Bottom row (L-R): Fr. Gary Carr (from Missouri); Fr. Bishop (representing UV chapters in CA); Fr. Santos (Providence RI, Holy Name Church); Fra FredrikCrichton-Stuart (Pres. FIUV); Bp. Rifan; Msgr. Schmitz (ICR); Fr.Domenic Gentile (FSSP).

Top Row (L-R): Christine Philp (UV Berkshires); Ann Whelan (UVWestchester); Byron Smith (UV Syracuse); Elizabeth Murphy (UVNewfoundland); Joe Gallante (UV Cape Cod); Sandy Philp (UVBerkshires); Eva Sturchio (UV NJ); Dan Marengo (UV Bronx); Indira Sweeny (UV Brooklyn); Allen Maynard (UV Rhode Island); Nathan Collins (UV Michigan); Brian Mershon (UV Greenville, SC); Wendy Maynard (UV Rhode Island); Mary Kraychy (Coalition in Support of Ecc. Dei); MarieBoland (UV Albany); Bill Basile (UVRochester); Dave Pietrusza (UV Albany); Fred Haehnel (UV St. Louis, MO).

About 100 people attended the dinner at the Marriott, with His Excellency Bp. Rifan as key-note speaker.

Bishop Rifan's speech at the banquet dinner on Saturday night was spiritually edifying and also addressed the current concerns many have about the possiblity of a universal indult or P.A.A. for the 1962 Missal. In his speech, Bp. Rifan noted that Una Voce is a force in the Church today. He also said that the Church needs saints, not reformers, pointing out that Martin Luther was a reformer, but Ignatius Loyola was a saint.

Saturday Morning: Braga Rite Mass and Speakers

Low Mass at 9 am at Holy Name Church was according to the Rite of Braga - a Portuguese rite protected by Pope St. Pius V at the Council of Trent. The celebrant was Fr. Santos, who was ordained in Portugal.

There are a number of differences between the Rite of Braga and the TL Mass - including a different genuflection - but the language of the Rite is Latin. Fra Freddy served at the Mass... and His Excellency played the organ!

The Mass was followed by coffee and registration. The first speaker of the morning was Fr. Wilson.

Fr. Wilson spoke of his days in the seminary in the 1970s and 1980s ... and of the great hope that was in the air at the time, that the changes in the Church would lead to an abundance of conversions and vocations. Of course, these never came to be - and in fact the opposite was true and everything came crashing down. His talk was not just about the disasters of the past decades, though, but also about what it is to be a Catholic. He gave a quote from Madeline L'Engle, to the effect that "Christians should shine with such a light that others want, with all their hearts, to know its source."

Fra Freddy then spoke on the FIUV General Assembly meeting in Rome last October and about some of his plans as president of UVA. He hopes to increase US presence in FIUV, as UVA represents a very large number of Catholics devoted to the TL Mass when compared to other groups in the federation. He also intends to begin an FIUV newsletter and to reestablish contact with FIUV members who have not been heard from in a long while. Fra Freddy is of the opinion that some sort of Apostolic Administration or general indult will be arranged for the TL Mass in the near future, but explained some of the difficulties presented with either possible arrangement.

Wendy Maynard and her crew of talented sou-chefs gave a lovely lunch in the school for the attendees.

After lunch, Fr. Kocik gave a very interesting presentation on liturgical reform and the role of the 1962 Missal in the near future, since Pope Benedict XVI seems to favor a reform of the Novus Ordo rather than a universal return to the TL Mass. His talk led to a very spirited Q&A session afterwards, as he had raised many important issues that people wanted to discuss.

The MC of the afternoon was Allen Maynard, who was the host of the conference, and he did an excellent job of keeping everyone rolling in the aisles.

Paulo Frade and family/friends - originally from Brazil and living in Medford, MA - came to the conference and met Bp. Rifan.

Friday: UVA Leaders' Meeting and Pontifical Vespers

Many UVA chapter officers and board members attended the Providence Conference, which was very heartening and allowed for much useful discussion: Bill Basile (UV Rochester, Director); Marie Boland (UV Albany); Nathan Collins (UV Michigan); Joe Gallante (UV Cape Cod); Warren Goddard (UV New Hampshire); Fred Haehnel (UV St. Louis, MO; Director; Treasurer UVA; Treasurer FIUV); Dan Marengo (UV Bronx); Allen Maynard (UV Rhode Island; Director); Brian Mershon (UV Greenville SC); Elizabeth Murphy (UV Newfoundland); Christine and Sandy Philp (UV Berkshires); Christine Quagan (UV Boston); Byron Smith (UV Syracuse, Director); Indira Sweeny (UV Brooklyn; Director); and Ann and Peter Whelan (UV Westchester). Photo (L-R): Eva Sturchio, Marie Boland, Dave Pietrusza, Brian Mershon, Peter Whelan.

In addition, Mary Kraychy, Director of the Coalition in Support of Ecclesia Dei was present, as were representatives from other chapters: Eva Sturchio from UV NJ, Dave Pietrusza from UV Albany, Patrick Flansburg from UV Rochester; Fr. Bishop representing Californian chapters, and Fr. Gary Carr representing newly-formed UV New Mexico. Photo (L-R): Patrick Flansburg, Fra Freddy, Fred Haehnel, Byron Smith, Bill Basile

Of course, the guest of honor for the Friday meeting was newly-elected FIUV president, Fra Freddy Crichton-Stuart.

UVA leaders discussed the current situation in UVA and FIUV, and board members gave short presentations on the financial situation of UVA, the recent General Assembly in Rome, and the current status of membership in the organization. Fra Freddy presented information from the European side and supported the idea of an announcement coming sometime soon from the Vatican regarding the TL Mass.

Chapter leaders gave individual presentations on topics of general interest - e.g. "How to promote an event on a small budget," "Forming a chant schola," etc. These presentations will become part of a larger project of developing a CD-ROM for new chapters with articles on relevant topics and examples of materials used to promote the Mass or an UVA event.

After the meeting, Bp. Rifan and Fr. Santos held pontifical vespers in Holy Name Church, accompanied by the parish's lovely schola. Fr. Santos presented Bp. Rifan with a pontifical ring, made from amethyst, onyx and diamonds - which was a gift from the ten chapters that sponsored the conference: UV Berkshires, Boston, Brooklyn, Bronx, Cape Cod, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Rochester, Syracuse, and Westchester. Photo: Bp. Rifan and Fr. Santos during Pontifical Vespers

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Directions for Conference

Directions:

To the Church/School from I-95:
Take Exit 24 – Branch Ave. From I-95 South turn left and cross over 95 -or- from I-95 North turn right at top of ramp. Proceed to traffic light at North Main. Stay in center lane. Proceed across North Main onto Cypress St. (to the left of KFC) and up the hill. At the flashing light turn right onto Camp St.

To the Hotel from I-95 South:
Take Exit 23 - Charles Street. At the end of the ramp turn right and take first left onto Ashburton. Marriott will be on right.

To the Hotel from I-95 North:
Take Exit 23 - State Offices. At top of ramp turn left at stop sign, Marriott will be ahead on the left.

Hotel:401-272-2400
Rectory:401-272-4515

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Updated Schedule for Conference

FRIDAY
3:00-6:15 pm: UVA Leaders’ Meeting - Holy Name School
6:30-7:30 pm: Pontifical Vespers, Bp. Rifan – Holy Name Church
7:30-9:00 pm: Potluck dinner – Holy Name School

SATURDAY
9:00-10:00 am: Low Mass (Rite of Braga), Fr. Santos – Holy Name Church
10:00-10:30 am: Conference Registration and coffee – Holy Name School
10:30-11:30 am: Get behind Me, Satan - Fr. J. Wilson
11:30-12:30 pm: New Papacy, New Direction, New Hope - Fra Freddy Crichton-Stuart
12:30-1:30 pm: LUNCH
1:30-2:30 pm: Hopeful but not Sanguine: The Place of the Old Rite in the New Pontificate – Fr. Thomas Kocik
2:30-3:00 pm: General Q&A
3:00-4:00 pm: Holy Hour – Main Church/Confessions – Chapel
4:00-6:00 pm: FREE TIME
6:00-6:30 pm: Cocktail Hour – Marriott Hotel
6:30-7:30 pm: Dinner – Marriott Hotel
7:30-8:30 pm: Faith in the Hour of Crisis – Bp. F. Rifan

SUNDAY
11-12:30 pm: Pontifical High Mass, Bp. Rifan – Holy Name Church
12:30-2:00 pm: Communion Brunch – Holy Name School
2:00-3:00 pm: Tradition in the 21st Century: The Contribution of the Institute of Christ the King – Msgr. M. Schmitz

Sunday Speaker: Msgr. Michael Schmitz, ICR

Msgr. Schmitz will be the speaker at the Sunday Communion Breakfast in Providence.
Msgr. Michael R. Schmitz completed his philosophical and theological studies at the Gregorian University in Rome and was ordained on October 10, 1982, by (at that time) Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. In 1995 he helped the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest establish a foundation in Germany. He was incardinated in the Institute of Christ the King on the feast day of the Nativity of Our Lady 2000. Since then he was appointed Vicar General in the Institute, and is now working as the Provincial Superior of the Institute in the United States of America. He is also a chaplain of the Order of Malta, a member of the Pontifical Academy of Theology in Rome, co-editor of various theological publications, and author of four books, and more than one hundred other publications.