The following comes from a September 15 Traditional Latin Mass Community of Saint Mary Magdalen blog post:
The Solemn High Mass (Extraordinary Form) to be offered by the FSSP as part of the conference program for the Society for Catholic Liturgy has been moved.
Previously scheduled at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, it will now be at Our Savior Parish at USC Caruso Catholic Center located at 844 West Thirty Second Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007. It’s quite a phenomenal church, built recently and quite beautiful.
The Mass will be on Saturday, October 1st at 8:00 a.m.
It never ceases to get better. Why, indeed, have a TLM at the monstrosity that is the LA Archdiocese? Well, for one thing, that is where the bishop resides, so to speak. And that is why there is no TLM to be said there, too spooky for him to be seen as actually, really, truly, saying an honest Mass, with Latin, and prayed like the saints — almost all of them — prayed. What a pathetic joke.
One thing is certain: there are no coincidences. Knowing the hidden messages worked into this ungodly structure (the “cathedral”), I am sure the TLM would have sent the many demons screeching and flying in confusion.
Since the great Fr. Gabriel Amorth belongs now to the ages, I remember his interview by “30 Days” about 2004, when he was asked about the Vatican and the Curia: he said he would “want to exorcize the whole Curia, because there were so many devils there.” (He was denied permission by JP2 himself—who however liked the idea. )
I think if the TLM had been celebrated there, the clamor of Legion would have made the very bells to ring.
That’s not fair. Archbishop Gomez has met… resistance and he’s not the confrontational type. He did invite the FSSP into the archdiocese. He has done traditional confirmations for FSSP LA. It will take time to overcome the resistance. Many diocesan clergy have had bad experiences from “toxic trads” (some of that in response to legitimate grievances from the previous two archbishops, yet taken too far against people without the power to change it). The Barque of St. Peter does not turn on a dime. Tact, temperance, and prudence are just as necessary as zeal and piety.
Yes, Heaven forbid the man-centric, Taj Mahoney should celebrate the Mass of All Ages within it’s brutist walls. The Cathedral’s loss is the Caruso Center’s gain. The Cathedral was specifically designed to be as non-Catholic in appearance as possible. Just like the Novus Ordo Mass.
I am grateful to Archbishop Jose Gomez for bringing the FSSP to Los Angeles. He has done many good things for traditional Catholics. For example, two months ago he offered confirmation in the Extraordinary form which I was privileged to attend at St. Victor’s in West Hollywood. He also allowed the FSSP priests to become chaplains of the Latin Mass in St. Mary Magdalene Chapel in Camarillo. Gomez strongly opposed the Euthanasia law that Jesuit alumnus Jerry Brown passed on US June 8, 2016. He is now fighting transgender bathroom regulation.
The Cathedral looks awful from the outside. The Caruso USC church looks beautiful and will be a better Latin Mass venue. Wonder what motivated real estate Caruso to build such a beautiful church…
Caruso has a heart for the Lord and as a mere mortal, is doing what he can to finance Church needs. Just say thanks and zip it, Anonymous.
The Cathedral is definitely not a traditional structure, but outside of the trad bubble for whatever reason, it gets surprisingly good reception. Check the Yelp and Google reviews of it. It’s serviceable with many creature comforts. If I had a huge amount of money, I would make a big donation contingent on a new exterior facade, cover it with a couple thousand statues of angels, to go with a large depiction of Our Lady, and a big renovation on the inside (actually use the Ezcaray retalbo and altar pieces etc) and fill the inside with traditional Catholic iconography (statues, especially, as well as murals and stained glass.
Consider that Milan Duomo was also a lumpy block in 1745. Cathedrals always took hundreds of years to build…
Any reasons given for the change?
Have to agree the very very ugly cathedral if you can call it that would not have been the most appealing place to offer The True Mass of All Times. I for one am quite surprised to see that a “new” church really looks like a church and not an airplane hanger.
I am disappointed. Yes I understand the Cathedral is ugly, but it would have been such a great symbol and message to see a TLM Mass celebrated in the Cathedral of the Archdiocese. It is the seat of the Archdiocese and Archbishop. I suspect some also grasped the significance of having the TLM and Tradition in the Cathedral of Los Angeles. It therfore had to be stopped and moved.
Actually, it would be disappointing to have held the TLM in such an unworthy, digraceful building. That structure (Cathedral) would be best served by the wrecking ball.
People need beautiful, inspiring churches and cathedrals, for prayer, and worship of God! Also, in hard times, such as war, death, sorrow, loss, or 9/11– people especially need the hope and comfort which a beautiful, inspiring church or cathedral can offer! It is my hope, that someday Church leaders will give up on Modernist structures, “Ugly As Sin,” as the book by that same title depicts– and come to their senses, and build two brand new, beautiful, inspiring, traditional cathedrals, for both San Francisco and Oakland!
Last evening I attended a beautiful TLM at St. Margaret’s in Oceanside. The beautiful Schola singing/chanting in the back of the nave (no choir loft), lifted me to the heavens! The absolute quiet at the Consecration was such a reverent acknowledgment of the Real Presence. I always feel like I’ve “really been to Mass” when I attend the TLM!
Novus Ordo Masses at this church are also very reverent. It is evident that the pastor, Fr. Wallace, truly loves the Mass and the Sacraments.
Ashbury Fox you have hit it on the nail! Some modernist in the chancellery of the Archdiocese was not about to let this happen, remember the TLM has many many enemies both laymen and priests and bishops, and most of the haters are older bishops and priests. The most ardent haters of the TLM have always been the priests and bishops who were ordained in the Traditional rite, yet I never understood their utter hatred of the TLM they were brought up in????
Yes, a good point, Janek (“[Some of] The most ardent haters of the TLM have always been the priests and bishops who were ordained in the trad rite.”):
Others have discussed this, that—esp. with regard to those ordained ca. 1960-1969—there is an amazing bitterness and even a sonetime-desire to mock the Trad Rite (s). At one theological discussion day at a certain Franciscan retreat house a while back, one friar-priest from that era took the opportunity to put on a mock-TLM with quite shocking burlesqueing of the Mass—his point was to ridicule and discredit the Old Rite. I saw that on another occasion by a man in LA diocese who was rumored to one day become bishop (fortunately, he,was passed over)—same purpose.
So, a theory developed around this and similar observed words and behaviors by priests if this era, that the ferment that was going on under the surface in the pre-V2 era was indeed bitter and evidently diabolical. And it finally exploded—what we call “Vatican II”. Others have mm entitled Romano Amerio, and I have read his documentation of this phenomenon.