tidbits from the catholic sixties

Traditional Latin Catholic Mass

on the last sunday of ordinary time, 1965, the mass was in latin--a form not all together different than this one my professor dug up from youtube. seven days later, on the first sunday of advent, 1965, it was in english. i can't really even imagine the drama of the shift. interestingly, my parents aren't sure they remember it being that dramatic of a shift in gears; both were surprised to learn that was the date. i suppose that a perhaps immature view of history is to look for dramatic fissures in time & place and to exaggerat them. But I'm not sure how much of an exaggeration it is to say this must have been like being rear-ended in the parking lot while you're on a cell phone.

my tendency here, i'm afraid, is to take too sympathetic a view of pre-conciliar devotions: to romanticize the devotions to saints and mary as something nice and, regardless of the theological implications, as real. which, to some extent, is an important perspective. don't get me wrong: i'm not in danger of wishing vatican 2 didn't happen. but i guess it seems more important to respect that my grandma, in a very real way, believed in the presence of st. jude as she combed through the house loooking for some lost item.

i do have to admit a certain amount of pride in being connected with st. john's and st. ben's as virgil michael is all over the place & their are veiled references to the "progressive liturgical reforms in the midwest"--sts. ben's & john's, bahbe!

happy friday. its finally fall here...smells so good. k.