Fr. Christopher Blust

Mass at Holy Spirit

Vancouver B.C.

Canada

Fr. Christopher Blust Celebrates Mass At Holy Spirit Parish

Recently ordained Fr. Christopher Blust celebrated Mass at Holy Spirit Parish on 9^th Aug. 2001. The Priest Assistant was Fr. Ashley.

After Mass Fr. Blust attended a luncheon in the hall where he bestowed individual blessings on our community. Fr. Blust together with Fr. Creurer are some of the Seminarians supported by the Vancouver Traditional Mass Society. Mr. Christopher Suen a long-time member of our community and an active participant of the choir will now be attending the F.S.S.P. Seminary to test his vocation and the VTMS will be supporting him during his Seminary days.

We thank Kurt Raeder for the pictures displayed on the opposite page. Kurt is our official photographer although he doesn’t know it as yet.

Confirmation

For the first time in Vancouver, in the history of our Traditional Latin Mass community, and probably for the first time in about 40 years the Sacrament of Confirmation was administered in the Tridentine Rite on August 13^th in the year of the Lord 2001 A.D..

Over the two young men Garrick Huang and Timothy Mackey are spoken the words ‘Spiritus Sanctus superveniat in vos, et virtus Altissimi custodiat vos a peccatis’ (‘may the Holy Ghost descend upon you and may the power of the Most High preserve you from sin’) thus beginning the rite of the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Shortly thereafter naming both Timothy and Garrick the Sacrament will be individually administered with the words:

(Name), signo te signo Cru + cis et confirmo te chrimate salutis:

In nomine Pat + ris, et Filii, et Spiritus + Sancti.

Congratulations Timothy and Garrick as you now take your place as soldiers of Christ.

Fr. Ryan Presents A ‘State Of The Union’ Address

It is the 16^th Sunday after Pentecost Sept. 23^rd, 2001 and Fr. Ryan has been with our community for a year. Father for his sermon recaps the year in what he terms as a ‘State Of The Union Address’.

I will let Father tell it in his own words:

“When I came to you last Sept. we were known as Divine Mercy Community now as of Jan. we are known as Divine Mercy Quasi Parish. I must say that’s quite an achievement to obtain that kind of Canonical recognition and stability in such a short time is quite remarkable.

World-wide there are very few Quasi Parishes and to my understanding they are all in North America and the Fraternity is very fortunate to be involved in their administration. Not only has it been involved in their administration but also in their establishment as Parishes and Quasi Parishes with the exception however of this Apostolate. The Fraternity was not at all involved in the establishment of this Community as a Quasi Parish; it was just here as it happened and this is a credit both to your good will and that of the Archbishop’s.

Because we are a Quasi Parish we shouldn’t belittle what we have despite the fact that we don’t have a Church building. Other traditional apostolates in N.A. may have their own building but they do not have the kind of status we enjoy.

This year has been basically a year of probation of the Fraternity in the Archdiocese and in this regard I believe it has been very successful.

One of the unique things about this diocese has to do with the fact that there is support from many in the Clergy here for what the Fraternity does and what we are at Divine Mercy. There are many Priests in the Archdiocese who love the Old Mass and would say it exclusively if they had the chance. Please appreciate how unusual it is to have that kind of support.

Furthermore of those who were opposed to us I think over the last year there has been a softening of hearts.

I think that because the Fraternity and parishioners of Divine Mercy have tried to be affable to all the clergy in the diocese we have lessened opposition to what we do. The Archdiocese deeply appreciates the greater calm that now presides in the Community which again is a result of a greater stability that has been given us since the beginning of the year, and because of this greater calm and peace in our community we can better go about the quiet business of the sanctification of our souls and that’s all we need to do.

We need to have that trustful surrender to Divine Providence which is no way a kind of indifferent quietism whereby we accept whatever comes our way because we believe we have no positive input or co-operation with the plan of God. No the Providence of God always includes our co-operation with His Grace. That work of co-operation with His Grace is principally the work of our personal sanctification. So although we may worry about eventually getting our own building or about getting a better Mass time and even a second Mass, if we go about the business of sanctifying ourselves by means of the wonderful rite we have been given, all these secondary issues will be taken care of in their time.

In patientia vestra possidebitis animas vestras in your patience as Sacred Scripture says you will possess your soul. We need to continue to grow as we have in the virtue of patience. Through this virtue we come into possession of ourselves and that important because nobody gives what he doesn’t have.

If the goal of life is to give ourselves to God then one must first be in possession of himself in order to give what he owns. Patience allows us to come into full possession of ourselves and that allows us to give ourselves to God and it is through this same patience that we will one day obtain all that we aspire for our community.

Mass At St. Pius X North Vancouver

Fr. Ryan was invited, on Sept. 26^th, to say the Old Mass at St. Pius X in North Vancouver and give a talk on the Old Mass.

The occasion was a complete success and brought back many happy memories to those of us who were parishioners when Fr. Neilson was there.

Congratulations to Timothy and Peter, our Altar Servers, for a job well done.