Text courtesy of Joseph Vautour; photos courtesy of Latin Mass Society of Kelowna
The Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite is making a steady comeback today. It has returned to many dioceses, and the communities formed around it are growing in number and size. This can certainly be felt in the Diocese of Nelson, British Columbia, where the Latin Mass is now celebrated weekly for the first time in a very long while.
The High Mass on the Feast of the Assumption, August 15, 2019, was especially memorable for Immaculate Conception Parish in Kelowna. Celebrated by parish priest Fr. Cerlouie Jimenez in the presence of His Excellency Bishop Gregory Bittman, it was the much-awaited fulfillment of the dreams of many who put a great deal of work and prayer into making such an event possible. Preparations had begun months beforehand, as a crew of talented individuals was formed to manage everything from the altar serving and sacristan work to preparing for the reception following the Mass. We were even blessed with the help and talents of people from outside of Kelowna who brought their experience and skill to the parish.
I had the privilege of witnessing this event up close from the altar, along with eight other altar servers, and I can say without a doubt that it spoke to the young people, who today are so bombarded with mediocre Catholicism. It was a sign of the true revolution the young generation seeks, not a revolution against that which is old but against what is false; a revolution to find the unvarnished truth, which it seems those with power are trying to dispense with.
Bishop Bittman, whose twenty-third anniversary of priestly ordination was also celebrated on this day, perhaps touched on this topic when he said in his homily that the majority of our assumptions are bad things. They convolute our knowledge of the truth with false preconceived ideas. However, there was one true Assumption, that of the Blessed Virgin, who assumed to Truth itself. The Truth does not age, because it does not change. The Assumption of Our Lady gives us reason to meditate on the Church and her never-changing doctrine, which assumes our minds to Christ.
It is interesting to note that the Traditional liturgy cannot be reborn on its own. By nature, it also reforms all other aspects of the surrounding community. This change was felt in many ways. The altar serving was different from before, many of the faithful learned to participate in a new and beautiful way, and the choir sang music that was new and mystical, a surprise for many unfamiliar with Gregorian chant. Indeed, a person cannot join in the liturgy and remain the same, for to join in the liturgy is to be united to God, and that experience is without parallel in this world.
Fr. Jimenez and Bishop Bittman (centre) with Fr. Edwin Neufeld, chaplain of the Kelowna Latin Mass community (left), and altar servers after the Mass
On a simpler note, many were also surprised by the turnout for the Mass. Not only were the sheer numbers exciting but people from all over the Okanagan and beyond came together in prayer – from Penticton, Cache Creek, Abbotsford, and Vancouver, to name just a few. In fact, there were enough people present who were familiar with the Traditional liturgy that we were able to have a second High Mass on the following Sunday on very short notice – what an incredible blessing!
