NORWALK—St. Mary’s Church and the Society of St. Hugh of Cluny are pleased to announce a conference and Mass commemorating the tenth anniversary of Summorum Pontificum on Thursday, October 19 at St. Mary’s Church, 669 West Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut. Those interested are cordially invited to attend. The event is free of charge but goodwill offerings will be gratefully accepted.
The evening’s schedule:
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- 5:30 pm—Presentations by Bishop Athanasius Schneider and Fr. Innocent
Smith, O.P., in the parish hall of St. Mary’s Church - 7:30 pm—Pontifical Solemn Mass celebrated by Bishop Schneider
(from the faldstool) - 9:00 pm—Reception in the parish hall
- 5:30 pm—Presentations by Bishop Athanasius Schneider and Fr. Innocent
Bishop Athanasius Schneider, auxiliary bishop of Astana, Kazakhstan, will speak on the importance of tradition in sacred liturgy. Bishop Schneider is widely recognized as an articulate and courageous proponent of the Roman Catholic Church’s traditional doctrine and liturgy, and is the author of “Dominus Est – It Is the Lord! Reflections of a Bishop of Central Asia on Holy Communion.” The eagerly anticipated event will mark His Excellency’s second visit to St. Mary’s Church. Fr. Innocent Smith, O.P., is a Dominican from the church of St. Vincent Ferrer in Manhattan, New York.
Summorum Pontificum is the Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio by Pope Benedict XVI on July 7, 2007 that greatly expanded the conditions under which the ancient and venerable pre-Vatican II form of the Mass could be celebrated. It established the Tridentine Rite of Mass celebrated according to the Roman Missal of 1962—often referred to simply as the Traditional Latin Mass—as an “extraordinary expression” of the Church’s liturgy and authoritatively pronounced that it had never been abrogated, or abolished.
In the 10-year period since Summorum Pontificum was promulgated, the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the Traditional Form of the Roman Rite has grown rapidly throughout the world and is now offered regularly at approximately 500 locations throughout the United States of America alone.
Under the leadership of then-pastor Fr. Greg Markey, St. Mary’s Church in Norwalk began offering the Traditional Form of the Mass soon after Summorum Pontificum went into effect on September 14, 2007. Fr. Richard G. Cipolla, the current pastor, continues to expand on this historic legacy. Holy Mass is now offered at least once every day of the week at St. Mary’s Church in the Traditional Form.
For further information, please visit the St. Mary’s Church website at www.stmarynorwalk.net or the Society of St. Hugh of Cluny website at www.sthughofcluny.org.
ABOUT SAINT MARY’S CHURCH
Saint Mary’s Church is a Roman Catholic Church within the Diocese of Bridgeport. Parishioners in this unique multi-ethnic community are united in their devotion to the Trinitarian God through aesthetically beautiful and reverent celebrations of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in three languages: English, Spanish and Latin. The Traditional Form of the Roman Rite lies at the heart of the parish’s liturgical life and its timeless essence infuses every Mass. The parish’s mission of evangelization through authentic liturgical renewal is enhanced by a sacred music program of rare caliber featuring the acclaimed St. Mary’s Schola Cantorum. Designed in Gothic Revival style and dedicated in 1870, this historic church was beautifully and lovingly renovated beginning in 2009 to support its essential and timely mission. For more information, please visit the parish’s website: www.stmarynorwalk.net.
ABOUT THE SOCIETY OF ST. HUGH OF CLUNY
The Society of St. Hugh of Cluny was formed shortly after Pope Benedict XVI’s Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum was promulgated on July 7, 2007. The Society chose as its patron saint Hugh of Cluny (1024-1109), the great abbot of Cluny. Membership is open to all Catholics who wish to support the recovery of Catholic liturgy and the reform of Church and society. The Society promotes practical means of meeting this goal: training of priests to celebrate the 1962 use; supporting conferences on traditional liturgy and music, and the role of the arts in liturgy; and sponsoring lectures and colloquia on topics relevant to the goals of the Society. For more information, please visit the Society’s website: www.sthughofcluny.org.
