Solemn High Mass at Holy Rosary Cathedral, Vancouver: September 14, 2020

For those who love the Traditional Latin Mass, September 14, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, has special significance. On that day in 2007, Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum, came into effect, freeing the Traditional Mass from the restrictions that had been imposed upon it for almost forty years.

Summorum Pontificum restored the Traditional Mass to a place at the heart of the Catholic Church’s liturgical life. It gave priests the right to celebrate, without the need to obtain special permission, the Mass that was codified by Pope St. Pius V in 1570 and last revised by Pope St. John XXIII in 1962. It also asked pastors and bishops to provide for the celebration of this Mass wherever a “stable group” of lay faithful desired it. And it envisioned the co-existence of both the Traditional Mass (which Pope Benedict called the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite) and the newer Ordinary Form in the same parishes, as well as the establishment of personal parishes dedicated to the Extraordinary Form (an example of which is Holy Family Parish in the Archdiocese of Vancouver, established by Archbishop Raymond Roussin in July 2008).

It was therefore fitting that, despite the limitations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a Solemn High Mass was celebrated at Holy Rosary Cathedral in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, at 6:30 p.m. on September 14, 2020. The Mass was livestreamed on the cathedral’s YouTube channel.

The sacred ministers were Fr. Juan Lucca, assistant parish priest at St. Mary’s Parish in Chilliwack, BC, celebrant; Fr. Ralph Oballo, FSSP, assistant parish priest at Holy Family Parish in Vancouver, deacon; and Fr. Pablo Santa Maria, JCL, assistant priest at Holy Rosary Cathedral and vice-chancellor of the Archdiocese of Vancouver, subdeacon. Fr. Stanley Galvon, rector at Holy Rosary Cathedral, preached the sermon. Sitting with Fr. Galvon in choir was Fr. Arsene Dutunge, JCL, currently in residence at the cathedral.

The ministers were assisted by master of ceremonies Matthew Palmer, thurifer Michael Do, acolytes Stephen Ivanyi and Kevin Lam, and crucifer Javier Cabrera.

The Propers and Ordinary of the Mass were chanted by a schola directed by cantor Christopher Suen and composed of Ed Devita (cantor), Daniel Chan, Daniel Ma, and Michael Molnar. The cathedral’s magnificent pipe organ was played by David Poon.

Adoration and veneration of the cathedral’s relic of the Holy Cross followed the Mass, with the schola singing Vexilla Regis and Crux fidelis/Pange lingua … lauream certaminis, from the Veneration of the Cross on Good Friday. Benediction completed this beautiful and moving ceremony.

The Traditional Mass is celebrated at Holy Rosary Cathedral every Friday at 6:30 p.m. (Sung Mass on First Fridays) and on certain feast days (to be announced). For more information, please visit the cathedral website at https://www.holyrosarycathedral.org/.