Less than a year after relocating to the Shrine of St. Joseph in Santa Cruz, members of a Traditional Latin Mass community in the diocese of Monterey are moving again — this time to a location they hope will be their permanent home.

Last year, Monterey bishop Richard Garcia asked the Traditional Latin Mass Community, which had been celebrating the Extraordinary Rite at Mission San Juan Bautista since 2008, to move to the Santa Cruz shrine. The first Traditional Latin Mass was celebrated there on July 3, 2011.

“It is Bishop Garcia’s intention that we find a church for ourselves, a church for the Traditional Latin Mass, our own parish,” Father Nicholas Milich said in a message to the Latin Mass Community at the time.

The last TLM at the Shrine of St. Joseph was celebrated on Sunday, June 10. Beginning next Sunday, June 17, the Extraordinary Rite will be celebrated at Queen of Heaven mausoleum, located between Prunedale and Salinas.

“Established in 1964 by Monsignor Thomas Earley, this cemetery was originally opened as the parish cemetery for Sacred Heart Church in Salinas,” says an entry on the cemetery’s website. “The 30-acre site, with approximately 12 developed acres, offers a majestic view of the Salinas Valley. With its beautifully landscaped environment and recent plant renovations, Queen of Heaven is the most attractive cemetery in the county.”

“The reason we are moving is that our Mass site in Santa Cruz was a temporary one,” explained June Ely, secretary of the Monterey Bay Area Latin Mass Community, in an email toCalifornia Catholic Daily. “The Oblates of St. Joseph had generously allowed us use of their Shrine in Santa Cruz while we were searching for a more permanent home. Our chaplain and other members of our community had been looking for a home the past year, when we finally found out about the Queen of Heaven Mausoleum between Prunedale and Salinas, right off of Hwy. 101. The Mausoleum church there was only used once a month on Saturday’s for a memorial Mass, and very occasionally for funerals.”

“This beautiful location, overlooking the Monterey Bay Area, is about as central as possible for our spread out community,” Ely continued. “When we approached our bishop about using it, he said it was a great idea. The director of Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Mr. Charles Fowler, has been very welcoming to our Traditional Latin Mass community, and is working closely with us to get it ready for our intended move date of June17th. We will be having High Mass at 10:30 every Sunday, and will be able to observe all the Holy Days of Obligation.”

“Our parishioners are very grateful to our bishop and the cemetery directors, and are excited about having a stable home where they can have a more normal parish life,” Ely said.

The mausoleum chapel at Queen of Heaven Cemetery is located at 18200 Damian Way, Salinas. For a map to the new location, Click Here.

A second Traditional Latin Mass in the Monterey diocese is offered at 12:30 p.m. on Sundays at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Pismo Beach.

 

READER COMMENTS

Posted Tuesday, June 12, 2012 12:11 AM By Abeca Christian
Give them a real parish. Why do they always hold the Latin Mass in cemeteries? In San Diego, we had the Latin Mass offered at a local cemetery for a while but praise God now they have their own parish!

Posted Tuesday, June 12, 2012 4:58 AM By Sandy
In FL our Bishop not only helped the FSSP get their own Parish, but has the FSSP say Sunday Latin Mass at two strategicallly located Parishes that is advertised in all Parish bulletins. Ave Maria Univeristy within our Diocese also has Masses in Latin and in the Ordinary Form.

Posted Tuesday, June 12, 2012 6:56 AM By OneoftheSheep
Good news. Regards to the wonderful Bishop Garcia who graced Sacramento for some years. Pismo Beach? Prunedale/Salinas? Praise God for the blessings which will flow form the Traditional Latin Mass Community.

Posted Tuesday, June 12, 2012 7:58 AM By Charles
Congratulations June, Greg, Wendy et al. It’s inspiring how you have kept the faith through all the twists and turns! See you in SLC?

Posted Tuesday, June 12, 2012 8:41 AM By Catherine
Abeca Christian, They thought that they had silenced Christ by laying Him in an enclosed tomb. Good things arise from tombs.

Posted Tuesday, June 12, 2012 8:57 AM By MacDonald
The Latin Mass community in Monterey seems very happy and grateful about this move, so God bless them. Naturally, others NOT from Monterey will complain, but everyone needs a hobby…

Posted Tuesday, June 12, 2012 8:58 AM By Life Lady
Wonderful news for you all in the north. We did have our Trad Latin Mass in a cemetary, for about 20+ years. Yes, it was somewhat difficult in that the summer months caused us to sometimes have to endure some in conveniences that come with being in a cemetary. But we loved our time there, and moving from there was difficult. We tried in every way to have some semblance of normal parish. But I have to take my hat off to those who taught CCD classes, during that time, served in the choir, served on the altar and made sure we had fresh flowers on the altar. It also is important to note that we didn’t just make sure things were cosmetically proper, but a small and faithful group said a rosary after every Mass for the intention of having a permenant parish. We were answered with St. Anne’s which has a rich history rooted in the Christeros movement. It was first established during that time in Mexico when martyrs were giving their life’s blood for the reign of Christ the King. We all have to offer some sacrifice to continue to live as Catholics in the True Faith. May this group at this new facility endure those sacrifices necessary in union with the Church for the liberty and exaltation of Holy Mother Church.

Posted Tuesday, June 12, 2012 8:58 AM By keithp
My wife and I (and one of our sons) attended at the Shrine since the Latin Mass moved there last July. It has been a wonderful experience and great blessing. It’s been an answer to my prayers to have Fr Milich for a truly orthodox priest that preaches the the authentic teaching and magesterium. We sent Bishop Garcia a letter thanking him for the Latin Mass at the Oblates. Big thanks to Fr Warburton and the Oblates, too. With all that said, it’s a tuff trip now to Prunedale. This will certainly take a large part of our day traveling to and from. Pluse, and hour and one half for the Mass itself… My wife and I have discussed options. We’ll see how the trip goes this Sunday and then decide. Frankly, our main goal is to attend a Mass that follow the GIRM with no monkey business. We may continue to attend Sunday Mass at the NO 11 AM at the Shrine with the Oblates instead. OTH, we pray very diligently for the regularization of the SSPX. This gives another option that is closer and earlier than Prunedale. May God grant this return to our SSPX brothers and sisters and soon!

Posted Tuesday, June 12, 2012 10:55 AM By Barbara
Abeca Christian, where in San Diego is the Latin Mass offered in it’s own parish. Please share the location.

Posted Tuesday, June 12, 2012 11:00 AM By Anne T.
They probably put the Traditional Latin Mass churches in cemeteries to remind them to pray for the Holy Souls (the dead) as many Catholics in the newer rite do not do so. It might be a good thing, at least for awhile.

Posted Tuesday, June 12, 2012 1:32 PM By Gabe
Shall we talk about what’s really going on here? That for all the tolerance and compassion in the rhetoric of the leftist progressives, both inside and outside the Church, it is really intense hostility and hatred for anything good, beautiful and true, such as the Traditional Latin Mass. Or maybe we don’t want to go there?

Posted Tuesday, June 12, 2012 2:06 PM By Abeca Christian
Barbara Saint Anne’s parish near Logan Heights area. Right before the exist to Coronado bridge from south heading north from Interstate 5. Hope that helps. God bless you. 2337 Irving Ave. They are the parish that have their annual “running with saints” during their festival!

Posted Tuesday, June 12, 2012 3:58 PM By Seraph
Barbara, St. Anne is the parish in San Diego staffed by the FSSP and offers only the TLM. Both High Masses and low Masses. They even offer a TLM with Spanish readings and sermon since many of the former parishioners in the surrounding Mexican American neighborhood stayed after The FSSP came.