Portland Archbishop Alexander Sample received loud applause and cheers when he proclaimed, “Every priest and seminarian should learn the extraordinary form of the Mass.”

More than 400 people from around the country descended on Sacred Heart Parish in Medford, Oregon for the 2017 Sacred Liturgy Conference, held July 12-15. 

The number of attendees far exceeded that of previous conferences and could be attributed to the special guests serving as conference faculty. These included Cardinal Raymond Burke, former St. Louis archbishop; Archbishop Sample; Bishop Robert Vasa of Santa Rosa, California; and San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone.

The conference, sponsored by Portland-based Schola Cantus Angelorum, focused on church history and Gregorian chant and its place in sacred liturgy. 

Conference attendees were able to attend lectures, Gregorian chant workshops and four traditional Masses celebrated by the bishops and cardinal.

Attendees came from all corners of the United States and even from Puerto Rico. Alan Aversa, who traveled to Medford from Arizona, remarked that the interactions allowed him to see how the liturgy has affected different people. “It shows that God works in mysterious ways,” Aversa said.

All four Masses celebrated for conference attendees left Sacred Heart Parish packed, with the highlight for many being the celebration of a pontifical high Mass by Cardinal Burke on Friday night. During his homily, the cardinal thanked those in attendance for their dedication to the sacred liturgy. 

“The perfection of religion is to do the simple things, such as celebrating the Mass, in a perfect manner,” he said. 

Full story at The Catholic Sentinel.