VTMS 10th. Annual General Meeting And Day Of Recollection With Fr. Trezza

The Day of Recollection and Annual General Meeting of the Vancouver Traditional Mass Society began at 9 am on Saturday, 9th October 1999. After group recitation of the Rosary in Latin, Father Richard Trezza, O.F.M. celebrated Holy Mass. After Mass, there was a brief lunch break. Father Trezza entered the Order of Friars Minor (Fransiscans) in 1966 and is a priest in the Archdiocese of New York where he celebrates the Traditional Mass in four parishes in New York. He is the Spiritual Assistant to the National Formation Commission of the Franciscan Third Order and is the Provincial Spiritual Assistant in charge of all Franciscan friars working with the Third Order on the Eastern Seaboard of the USA. He is also the Parochial Vicar at Our Lady Assumption Parish in the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J.

As well as Father Trezza, we were honoured by the presence of other guests. Mrs. Trudel and Mrs. Boles, who were with David on the pilgrimage to Rome, came from the Calgary Latin Mass Society to hear Father Trezza and to share our Day of Recollection. Father Trezza's talk to the members of the VTMS concerned the priest's view of celebrating the Traditional Mass compared to the New Rite of Mass. He pointed out that both congregation and celebrant have a need to prepare for Mass, but the New Rite gives little opportunity for preparation. Father mentioned that his time for prayer occurs in the sacristy as he vests for Mass, but in the New Rite there is no time at all to prepare spiritually for Mass.

Father Trezza remarked that the whole celebration is a series of prayers that is spoken inaudibly. The fact that in the New Rite very few people remain after Mass to give thanks is a source of concern to him

In the Traditional Mass, he continued, every gesture, every word has profound significance. In a way, the Mass is a kind of drama with the elaborate choreography of the gestures, the paces, the poetry of the Latin and the "pulseless" music of plainsong. The use of missals by the congregation, therefore, helps them to follow the Mass and to participate in offering the Sacrifice. Father used the analogy of driving a car with a standard transmission - where you can feel the road beneath you - and an automatic transmission where you cannot.

Father continued his talk by explaining the religious significance of the various vestments worn by the celebrant at Mass.

The alb is a symbol of purity and signifies the "new man", which is the alter Christus or "other Christ". The chasuble represents the charity of Jesus. The amice, once a head covering, represents the humility with which a priest should enter the sanctuary. In this sense, the mystery of the Mass is gradually revealed - first by the celebrant uncovering his head, then by drawing aside the humeral veil, and so on. The Mass up to the Credo is the preparation for the Canon of the Mass, where the priest has to prepare himself for the unveiling of the mystery central to our Faith. The things he has prayed about are now being transformed. The congregation implores God that the bread and wine on the altar be transformed into the Body and Blood of Our Lord. The priest acts as a humble petitioner, asking for the transformation to be made. During this most solemn moment of the Mass, however, the New Rite breaks in with toe-tapping "sacro-pop" guitar music. The Traditional Rite, on the other hand, lifts our souls to God with the ageless sound of sacred polyphony and plainsong which have no distracting rhythms It is this music that helps the priest and the congregation to focus on the prayers and opens the soul to the divine influence. The consecration is a mystery and must remain so. If everything that happens on the altar could be explained, there would be no need for faith.

The prayer of the Roman Canon is complete in itself - everything that can be said is said; there is no need to add anything more. To ensure that his prayers are always said in a fresh manner, Father reads them instead of reciting them from memory.

From the time of Consecration to the final ablutions, the celebrant keeps the thumb and forefinger of both hands together so that nothing else can touch the Body of Our Lord. In the New Rite, too little time is left for members of the congregation to meditate on the divine mystery, but are called upon to line up and receive the Body and Blood from the hands of five or six lay people - yet only three or four people will show up for Confession. "We receive what we are (the Body of Christ) and we become what we receive." In the Traditional Rite both priest and congregation face the altar because they are both beseeching Our Lord for the same thing - yet the priest's role is different. In the New Rite, however, this distinction is blurred.

The Mass is an education. It is catechesis. The sufferings of a priest for his people are a figure of the suffering of Our Lord on the Cross and the priest becomes aware of this as he unites himself with the divine suffering. The less frequent the Mass, the greater the tempation to grown lazy and to fall into sin.

The Mass has a life of its own and continues even while the faithful are not in church. Father Trezza repeated what he has said so often: after the celebration of the Traditional Mass the congregation seem “stuck” in their pews because of the nature of the Mass. In the New Rite, however, they cannot wait to get out. It may be because no one can concentrate on saying a prayer of thanksgiving with the loud music and talking which occur at the end.

Father Trezza closed his talk by asking the members to pray for Traditional Mass societies everywhere and to stay with the Traditional Mass - "the most beautiful thing this side of heaven."

The annual general meeting began with the reading of the minutes of the last AGM and reports of the President, the Financial Secretary and the Director of Communications. Elections for the executive positions were held with the following results:

• President - Moira Garneau (incumbent returned)
• Vice-President - Neil Mulholland
• Secretary - Carolynn Mulholland
• Treasurer - Lynn Reid (incumbent returned)
• Director - David Reid (incumbent returned)
• Director - Mercia Hodges
• Director - Mazoe Kaufmann
• Director - Michael Janek
• Director - Ellie Raeder (incumbent returned)

The meeting closed at 3 pm. and was followed by a luncheon. Benediction and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament made a fitting end to the day.

—John Lambert

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REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT TO THE 1999 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE VANCOUVER TRADITIONAL MASS SOCIETY

Last year’s Annual General Meeting began on a rather sombre note. We no longer had a Traditional priest to care for our spiritual needs and regretfully the pastor, Fr. George Varghese, ordained in the Syrian rite, did not by his own admission, understand our spirituality. This resulted in conflict. Much discussion took place during the meeting and the following resolutions were therefore proposed by the general membership:

• 1. Intensify our prayer life and sac rifices
• 2. Take more responsibility for our own spiritual well-being
• 3. Invite traditional priests to offer Days of Recollection, etc.
• 4. Support and encourage Fr. Varghese and Holy Spirit Parish in every way possible
• 5. Continue correspondence with His Grace Archbishop Exner and Msgr. Monroe; and
• 6. Maintain support for Traditional seminarians

The above resolutions, thanks to all concerned, has been fulfilled. We can look back in this, our tenth anniversary year, and observe the Hand of God, guiding, consoling and inspiring our community. However, before commenting on the events of this year alone, let us reflect and offer our thanks to the human hands who, responding to God’s will, gave such dedicated service to the Vancouver Traditional Mass Society and the Universal Church:

- Mary Carey, our first President; Bridget Breckner, our dedicated secretary for eight years; Cathy Akhurst, who organized our “paper work” (charitable status, etc); Margie Mackey, director for eight years; and Ben Aultman and Tim Ziebart, directors for one year. I cannot forget Louise McDermot for accommodating our Precious Blood meetings for the past ten years.

- Fr. J.W. Mole, Ottawa, who introduced the beautiful devotion to the Precious Blood to our community, which the Executive has maintained as a vital spiritual source of grace for all their endeavours. We also owe gratitude to Fr. Mole for the Precious Blood Banner which has sustained us throughout these many years and continues to nourish us today!

- Fr. Patrick Tepoorten, our beloved pastor for seven years remains forever in our hearts.

- Fr. Favotto, our original pastor at Holy Spirit Church, continues to be on our prayer list.

- Holy priests, past and present, who have nourished our souls and helped us to maintain the Faith of our Fathers. - Fr. George Varghese, our present pastor, who offers the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with great reverence, and charitably tries his best to support our activities. - To all those who serve at the Altar of God we express sincere gratitude: Neil Mulholland and the altar boys; to those who beautify the Mass with their voice raised in praise and thanksgiving; the Schola and the Polyphonic Choir members — may St. Cecelia, Pope Pius X and St. Blaise continue to bless your work. - Our benefactors, spiritual and financial, remain forever in our hearts and prayers and we are deeply grateful for their support. Present executive members who have served the Vancouver Traditional Mass Society with such dedication and sacrifice

—the virtue of perseverance having been truly noted. I am sure I speak for everyone when I express a sincere thank you to Ellie Raeder, David and Lynn Reid who have never wavered in their conviction or commitment to the Traditional Mass and our Society. Among our activities during this past year is our Vancouver Traditional Mass Society Newsletter, published monthly and distributed from sea to sea, is receiving rave reviews. The information within continues to involve and inspire our members and supporters. David Reid prepares the content, John Lambert supplies the photographs and layout for the production.

key events throughout the year include:

October, 1998—David Reid represented the Vancouver Traditional Mass Society in the Eternal City Rome for the tenth anniversary celebrations of Ecclesia Dei. Una Voce International presented the Holy Father with a beautiful book containing petitions from all over the world requesting that the Holy Father offer the Traditional Mass according to the 1962 Missal.

At Christmas, Peter Mulholland arranged for a Quartet to present a concert during the Christmas period.

In January, Fr. Bovee visited us and was able to say the Funeral Mass for Mrs. Garneau’s sister, Rose Anne McHugh, who died of cancer. At Easter, the Traditional Mass Community was privileged to attend the Sacred Triduum, celebrated by Fr. Devillers of the Fraternity of St. Peter. (It was the first time in thirty years in this Diocese, with the permission of Msgr. Monroe and Archbishop Exner.)

In May, the VTMS supported several students from the Traditional Learning Academy who attended the Chartres Pilgrimage (they carried many of our petitions with them).

George Krump, beloved husband of Sonja, a member of the Vancouver Traditional Mass Society passed away. A Traditional Requiem Funeral Mass was offered at Precious Blood Parish in Cloverdale. In June, Fr. Phillip Creurer, from the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, Ottawa, celebrated a High Mass, followed by a community picnic at the home of Michael and Pam Janek. During his stay he had audience with Msgr. Monroe and the Bishop.

Today we were privileged to listen to Fr. Trezza from New Jersey, who had been the Chaplain for the October 1998 celebration of Ecclesia Dei in Rome.

The Vancouver Traditional Mass Society continues to support seminarians with stipends of $100 per month—one each with the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, the other with Christ the King, Sovereign Priest (Fr. Bovee).

I am pleased with the development of our own website, which is registering considerable interest. As well, we all hope for the establishment of a national group this coming year.

Correspondence has been undertaken this year with Msgr. Monroe and the Archbishop. The latest of these letters, sent in July, has not yet been responded to at the time of this meeting. The Vancouver Traditional Mass Society has also sent correspondence to Rome in support of Fr. Bisig, Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. Protocol 1411 is a serious matter and we will keep you informed. Meanwhile, please continue to lay siege to Heaven for our Traditional Mass Institutions and for unity within the Universal Church.

Respectfully submitted, —Moira Garneau, President