Introíbo ad altáre Dei, ad Deum qui laetíficat juventútem meam.
I will go unto the altar of God, to God who giveth joy to my youth.
- Psalm 43 (DR 42):4
Opening antiphon of the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar
I will go unto the altar of God, to God who giveth joy to my youth.
- Psalm 43 (DR 42):4
Opening antiphon of the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar
I believe in beauty as a powerful evangelist.I say that fell into church photography "by accident" in June of 2023, but Providence knows that there are no accidents. After photographing Midnight Mass in 2023, I used some of the pictures in a Facebook post with a walkthrough of the Roman Canon in the Extraordinary Form. I received several requests to make it publicly shareable, but didn't like the idea of directing the entire internet to a personal profile. As I searched for an alternative platform, I continued making "guides" on Facebook for various liturgies throughout the year and came to think of them as gentle, passive catechesis lessons; my own little version of St. Francis de Sales's pamphlets under the doors.
I have had the honor of introducing several people to the Latin Mass and few things bring me greater joy than sharing the Tradition of the Church with others. The best way to learn the Latin Mass is to experience it for yourself; hear the words that the saints knew so well, see the beauty for which your eyes were created, pray the way the Universal Church has for centuries. That said, I can sympathize with how overwhelmed newcomers may feel when they see how much there is to learn, or how intimidated some feel before they even set foot in a Latin Mass for the first time. And if one is immediately captivated by the incense, vestments, gestures, and Latin, it can still seem like a lot of new information to take in...because it is!
Something as intricate and nuanced as the Mass is often best explained with ample illustration. There are so many excellent Latin Mass resources available, but I have found none that contain visual step-by-step guides for the Mass or special liturgies such as Triduum. I envisioned something that might fill that gap in the form of a sort of "Visual Encyclopedia of the Latin Mass." The combination of all of these things led, after much prayer, to this project.
The ultimate goal of this project is, in the words of my father and first catechist, to "Stand up, speak the truth, and sit down." It will not be a Church politics news forum or a journal of fear-mongering opinion articles. Changing minds and hearts in any way is beyond my ability; I can only present something beautiful and invite others to come to know it and, from that knowledge, to love it.
My goal is to keep it thorough and digestible without watering it down, to demystify it a bit and show that it is not as foreign as many have been led to believe. It will be formal and always reverent, but there will be pieces of me that sneak into the posts: a connection I drew, a note about my experience while photographing, something I found helpful when I was getting familiar with the Latin Mass myself.
It won't be heady and academic; that's not how I think or write and I have no new insight of my own to offer on this Mass of the Ages. If you're looking for that kind of reading, please reach out; I will happily point you in the direction of a plethora of resources by people far more knowledgeable than I.
At its heart, I hope that this is a showcase to newcomers and long-time Latin Mass attendees alike of what is rightfully theirs. It isn't just for priests or the people already in the pews of traditional parishes. If you are Catholic, this is your heritage and your birthright by virtue of your baptism. Christ established His Church and her Tradition for you and for your salvation. It is a gift from Jesus to you; come see what is YOURS!
My parents fostered in me a deep love of the truth, goodness, and beauty of Tradition starting before I can remember. It was in the art and music that surrounded us, the books we read, the classical education we received, the Latin we learned, the prayers we prayed, the air we breathed. It was so ingrained in every aspect of our lives that I thought nothing of it as a child; it was just what we did. I didn't realize the magnitude of what they had given me until I reached adulthood, and I want to pass it on to others.
It is my hope that by offering these opportunities and gifts back to God, He will use them to lead others to His altar and to the beauty and fullness of the Tradition of His Church.
Deo gratias!
- T. C.
This project is the work of a parishioner of Old St. Patrick Oratory and is not a product of the Institute of Christ the King.
Old St. Patrick Oratory is a parish of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.
Old St. Patrick Oratory is a parish of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.