Mar 5, 2007

The best Mass I've attended; how about you?

As promised a few days ago, I will tell you the best Mass I have attended in the Southland.

Every Mass, of course, is the best! Thank You, Dear Jesus, for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

But the best Mass of all for me is the Tridentine Latin Mass at several places. One that stands out is the 1:30 p.m. Sunday Mass at Mission San Buenaventura, up in Ventura.

Another wonderful Mass is any Mass at a chapel in a Monastery of the Poor Clares. The sisters are off to the side, out of sight, but their singing voices are like those of angels.

What is the happiest I have ever been at Mass? My First Communion. Also, serving early morning Mass as an altar boy.

How about you?

22 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

If you are ever in Irving, Texas visiting the University Of Dallas(a wonderful Catholic University) please visit the Cistercian Abbey Our Lady of Dallas for a 9:00 am Sunday Mass. About 15 priest celebrate the Mass, sing the Gregorian Chant and give wonderful Catholic homilies.Chapel is always full and they have 10 new young brothers. It really is where heaven meets earth.
Rita

7:58 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Have you been to the Norbertine Abbey? Beautiful chant! It's the most orthodox novus ordo I've ever been to.

The only negative is the unattractive 1950's chapel. However, once the Mass begins I no longer notice the architecture.

9:21 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Christmas Eve High Mass in Frauenkirche, München. Silent Night, Holy Night in its native tongue, accompanied by strings, was frosting on the cake.

10:06 PM  
Blogger Quintero said...

Dear Rita,

Thanks very much for this great tip. Sounds wonderful.

10:47 AM  
Blogger Quintero said...

Dear Joe,

Thank you for writing! Yes, I was there once for their beautiful Mass, and it is indeed totally orthodox as you say.

They also have personal effects of the great prisoner for Christ, Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty of Hungary, at the monastery.

10:50 AM  
Blogger Quintero said...

Dear Anonymous 10:06 p.m.,

Thank you for telling about this beautiful Mass. What a great memory, and now we can all share in it.

10:51 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Joe @ 9:21pm,
To be charitable and fair to the Norbertines and their chapel, you should note that the chapel they currently have was only a temporary make-shift, since the original Norbertines who fled Hungary to the U.S. had only planned to stay in CA for a few years, once communism fell. Of course, we know, communism did not fall until many more years later. So, they just kept their chapel. It looks pretty good considering they were only planning to settle in America for a few years.

They are, however, planning to build a NEW monastery with a new chapel off the Ortega Hwy, which should be completed within the next 10 years (from what I hear, they will have a dozen or so side chapels, tower bell, communion rails,, tabernacle in the center, choir, choir loft, etc.)

11:22 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sts. Peter and Paul in Wilmington (not far from Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo, San Pedro and Carson) is a very beautiful church and the Norbertines are there. Once a month they offer an Novus Ordo Mass in Latin. Beautiful!

1:33 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

quintero, where are the poor clare nuns located? are they the ones at santa barbara? and what time is their sunday mass?

4:55 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Soon-To-Be Norbertine Postulant,

I apologize if my comments about the chapel were uncharitable. I have nothing but the highest esteem for the Premonstratensians. I didn't realize that it was a temporary structure since its design is consistent with most of the churches of the time.

I have seen an illustration of the new Church. It looks amazing! (http://abbeynews.com/Messenger200701.pdf)

Good luck to you on your journey to priesthood.

7:56 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Quintero,

I didn't know they had the personal effects (Maybe one day we can call them relics) of the Cardinal. However, I did see the plaque dedicated to Cardinal Mindszenty on the side of the chapel. He is a true hero of the faith.

8:05 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good evening Q,
Who said the Mass at Mission San Buenaventura, was it Father Damian? He was an associate at our Parish and moved up to the mission to serve as pastor. He is a very special man, generous of heart, well spoken and true to the Faith.

10:59 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The most beautiful Masses I ever attended were those offered by Father Daniel Johnson at St. Mary's by the Sea.

After attending a few of these Tridentine Masses back in 1992, and hearing this holy priest's homilies, I went to confession for the first time in 20 years and returned to my Catholic faith.
When Father Johnson retired in 2004, Bishop Brown refused to allow this Mass to continue. We all know the rest of that story.

Please pray for Fr. Johnson, as he is very ill and suffering greatly.

11:53 PM  
Blogger Quintero said...

Dear Mark,

Yes, that Monastery of the Poor Clares is in Santa Barbara.

My Santa Barbara friends go Mass in the Poor Clares' chapel, which is at 7 a.m. Sunday and every day.

On Sundays my friends also go there to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (for the intention of pro-life!), which lasts from after the 7 a.m. Mass to 4 p.m., when Benediction takes place.

The Monastery is at 215 East Los Olivos Street in midtown.

5:04 PM  
Blogger Quintero said...

Dear Soon-to-be Norbertine Postulant,

Thank you for writing about the Norbertines' plans for a new monastery! And we will all pray for you on your journey to the seminary and beyond!

5:07 PM  
Blogger Quintero said...

Dear Mark,

There is a directory of Monasteries of the Poor Clares in the USA and elsewhere at:

http://www.poorclare.org

This site has nice features!

Also, it mentions Poor Clares in Aptos and Los Altos Hills as well as in Santa Barbara.

5:11 PM  
Blogger Quintero said...

Dear Anonymous 1:33 p.m.,

Thank you for the reminder about beautiful Ss. Peter and Paul.

Maybe your post will entice people to visit there!

5:15 PM  
Blogger Quintero said...

Dear Little Tujunga,

Thank you for the news about Father Damian Fernando. He sounds great!

The missionsanbuenaventura.org website's bulletins list him as administrator, but I do not know if he is the celebrant of the Tridentine Latin Mass.

That Mass is still at 1:30 p.m. every Sunday, by the way.

I do not remember the name of the wonderful elderly priest who said that Mass when I was there. God bless him!

5:20 PM  
Blogger Quintero said...

Dear Joe,

Yes, it will be great one day when the Church will canonize Cardinal Mindszenty and we can call his belongings relics! Thank you for writing about the Norbertines and their monastery!

5:22 PM  
Blogger Quintero said...

Dear Anonymous 11:53 p.m.,

Thank you for writing about good Monsignor Daniel Johnson and his Tridentine Latin Masses at St. Mary's by the Sea. And thank you for the wonderful news about your coming home because of them!

I am so sorry to hear that Msgr. Johnson is very ill. We must all pray for him.

5:26 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dear Quintero,

I believe that was Monsignor Patrick O'Brien who said the Tridentine Mass at the Mission in Ventura. He died in 2005.

9:47 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

We just received the gift of the Latin Mass at St. Paul the Apostle in Pismo Beach, CA. It's at 12:30 every Sunday!!

9:29 PM  

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