My First FSSP experience

Yesterday I visited a friend in Quincy, Illinois.  While in town she suggested that we attend the 12:15pm mass at St. Rose of Catholic Church, a parish operated by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter.  This was her first visit to an extrodinary form mass and my first visit to a FSSP parish.  Despite the fact that I’ve now been attending the extraordinary form for almost two years I have n0t yet had the pleasure of visiting a parish operated by this group of dedicated priests.   (This is because the two oratories that celibate the extraordinary form in my home of St. Louis are operated by the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest and by the Benedictines respectively)

Firstly, I have to say that the church building was quite beautiful.  The parish was dedicated to the extraordinary form and trusted to the FSSP in 2008 after being closed shortly before.  I was quite pleased to see a sign in the foyer asking patrons to dress honorably when entering the building.  The inside was simple yet very beautiful.  Unfortunately I did not have my camera to capture pictures of this parish I do have a link to the parish’s photo page: http://www.saintrosequincy.org/content/photos.  I was told that the church looks quite different from its use as a regular diocese parish, of course having its alter rails re-installed and modern alter removed, but also several traditional practices such as a small shrine to Our Mother of Perpetual Help installed.

When we arrived about a half hour before mass a rosary was already being said, and in its third decade.  At noon (the rosary was finished) everyone stood and recited the Angelus.  The mass itself was a dialogue mass, with the people reciting the servers responses.  A first for me at a extraordinary form mass was the priest leaving the alter and reading the Epistle and Gospel in English at the ambo.  No homily was delivered.

As for my sweet’s first impressions of a Latin mass; she said it was enjoyable.  We shared my St. Joseph missal so that she could follow.  She enjoyed one advantage over me from my first Latin mass experience, which is a basic knowledge of Latin coming from her theology and musical studies in college.  I’ll have to have her write a guest post for a look at her personal incite.

Overall it was an enjoyable experience for the both of us.  She is looking forward to attending again, as do I during my visits.