Monday, April 28, 2025

Wednesday, Apr. 30: Requiem for Pope Francis

Funeral of a Pope in the 18th century
Engraving from Histoire des religions

Wednesday, April 30, 9:00 AM
Traditional Solemn High Requiem for the
repose of Francis, Bishop of Rome (d. 2025)

Celebrant: Rev. Fr. John Lyons, F.S.S.P.


Text of Requiem Mass with translation for mobile devices. 


The Diocese of San Diego has asked for Masses to be offered in all its parishes for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis on Wednesday, April 30. All are invited to join us at the Fraternity parish of St. Anne in Logan Heights for a Solemn High Requiem on Wednesday morning. 

Monday, April 21, 2025

Prayer and Penance for two empty Sees

From the Book of Kings (1 Samuel 18:29, 19:1; 2 Samuel 1:1, 11, 12)

In those days, Saul the king began to fear David more, and Saul became David's enemy continually. And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. And it came to pass that David returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites; and hearing that Saul was dead, he took hold of his garments and rent them, and likewise all the men that were with him. And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until evening for Saul, and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel.

But thou, O Lord, have mercy on us. Deo gratias. 



Alleluia. 

The Brothers of the Little Oratory in San Diego ask for the continuous offering of prayer and penance, even during the joys of Bright Week, that the ever-living and resurrected God may grant us holy bishops to shepherd both the Diocese of San Diego and the universal Church. With the passing of Pope Francis today on Easter Monday, the final say on the appointment of a new Ordinary for San Diego lies in the hands of the next Pope. 

Since the election of the Blessed Pope Pius IX in 1846, sede vacante periods for the Papacy have lasted between 16 and 17 days, with a maximum of 20 days and a minimum of 13 days. It is very likely we'll see a new Pope by the middle of May. San Diego's sede vacante began on March 11 with the installation of McElroy as Cardinal-Archbishop of Washington. Bishop Michael Pham, one of the three diocesan auxiliary bishops for San Diego, was elected to serve as diocesan administrator on March 17 by a group consisting of the three diocesan auxiliaries and eight diocesan priests. This position will expire when the next Ordinary is appointed by the next Pope, and we may have to wait until June for such that Pope to make an appointment.

At present, we ought to use this time wisely, praying for holy men to fill these empty chairs, and also that anything that might be an obstacle to reverence, orthodoxy, and good works be removed. A favorable appointment for San Diego is one that restores Chorus Breviarii's ability to introduce the average local Catholic to reverent and beautiful ceremonies in various parish churches without fear of persecution. A highly favorable appointment for San Diego is one that permits the establishment of an Oratory in our own diocese. 

Finally, pray for the soul of Pope Francis, that the prayers offered for his soul while he was still alive and whatever sacraments he may have received in his last days were a source of spiritual strength for him, especially in obtaining the grace of final repentance. For even as King David mourned the death of his rash and impious predecessor, knowing that he too was chosen by God for that time to lead the children of Israel, so should we remain sober and pray that the stain of scandal be blotted out by the sacraments and the fires of Purgatory. Rule XVI from the Manual of the Little Oratory for the Brothers in London reminds us of the fate of all men before God's throne:

We must all often reflect that we have to die, and give an account to God of our whole life.

That we may pray for these intentions, and that we too may remember that, like the late Pope, we will have to answer for our own iniquities.

Grant this O Lord, alleluia.



Prayer for a Deceased Roman Pontiff

God, Who, in Thine ineffable providence, didst will that Thy servant Pope Francis should be numbered among the high priests, grant, we beseech Thee, that he, who on earth held the place of Thine only-begotten Son, may be joined forevermore to the fellowship of Thy holy pontiffs.

Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Monday, April 7, 2025

Tenebrae 2025

 

File:Dürer - Der Schmerzensmann.jpg
Man of SorrowAlbrecht Dürer, 1511, woodcut

Wednesday, April 16, 19:15 (7:15 P.M.)
TENEBRÆ of Maundy Thursday




Friday, April 18 & Saturday, April 19, 5:00 (A.M.)
TENEBRÆ of Good Friday & Holy Saturday


Tenebrae consists of the sung offices of Matins and Lauds on each of the three days of the Sacred Triduum. The Psalms and Antiphons will be sung in Gregorian chant, while the Responsories will be sung in the harmonized Tonus Chorus Breviarii. Our thanks to Fr. James Bahash, pastor of St. John's in Encinitas, for allowing us to introduce this ancient practice to his parishioners on the night of Spy Wednesday. There is no charge for admission, and all the public are invited to attend. For those who may be occupied with work during the day, Tenebrae at St. Anne will finish around 7:15 in the morning. Blessed Triduum to all.

Friday, April 4, 2025

Scenes from Requiem Week in San Diego (Pt. 1)


Sunday Training and Exercises
.
On the occasion of two Solemn High Requiems, the chanting of the Office of the Dead, and the recent admission of two new Brothers from San Diego, Brother Ashley Paver, a great help to the Oratorian community in Cincinnati, flew out to visit us and fulfill his office as Ceremoniere for the San Diego Brothers. In preparation for a triduum of liturgical events, the Brothers and Chorus Breviarii met on Sunday afternoon for server training. 




This was followed by Laetare Sunday Vespers recto tono with the priests of St. Anne, as well as the Exercises of Sunday Afternoon according to the Manual, the latter of which included an exhortation to persevere in our decades-long efforts to establish the Oratory in San Diego. The details for the rest of the week were also sorted out.



The Monday Night Requiem
.
Since Brother Steven Holc directs the choir at the Pala TLM, the chaplain to Pala, Fr. Peter Adrian Miller, O.Praem, was celebrant for Monday night's Solemn High Requiem Mass for Maria Holc. Fr. John Lyons, F.S.S.P. was the deacon for the Mass, and Fr. Earl Eggleston served as subdeacon. Aside from the Brothers and Chorus Breviarii San Diego, those in the loft that night included members of Chorus Breviarii Murrieta, the choir at Holy Martyrs Anglican Ordinariate Parish, and Fr. Eggleston's acolyte schola. The motet during Communion was Jacquet of Mantua's O Jesu Christe. Since the burial was not to take place that day, the Benedictus with antiphon Ego sum was sung between the absolution of the catafalque and the In paradisum. It was the first liturgical service at which newly-admitted Brother Adrian Ople wore his Oratorian collar.


Fr. Eggleston chants the Epistle.

Fr. Lyons chants the Gospel.

Fr. Peter Adrian preaches on the
charity of a mother.




Brother Tom Gray fulfills his usual role
of ringing the bell at the consecration.

The servers and clerics
process to the catafalque.


Monday, March 31, 2025

A Televised Time Capsule for Tradition

The Brothers of the Little Oratory in San Diego have been meeting again on Friday nights during this holy season of Lent to pray the Exercises and enjoy supper with one another. Our first meeting was the Friday after Ash Wednesday at Fratellino's house, and I believe that there were around ten Chorus Breviarii members in attendance that night. The following week, about seven of us met at the house of Marlon Munguia, our newest San Diego Brother. Supper that night included vegetable soup and two loaves of homemade sourdough bread.

Crucifix, candles, and pax-bredes prepared for Exercises.

Our next host was Brother David Latorre, though Brother Rich Dawes served as our cook for the night, preparing cream of mushroom soup for us in David's kitchen. Rich also provided other foods such as pumpernickel and assorted panes dulces. It would have been fitting to have Exercises in David's private chapel, but squeezing seven men into a room the size of a walk-in pantry would have been a difficult feat, so we opted for the more spacious living room. Following Exercises that night, the younger guests visited the barn and fed David's horse, while the older Chorus Breviarii members reminisced about previous years getting lost while trying to access David's property in the San Diego backcountry. We also looked at various mementos organized in David's shelves; some parish anniversary books provided some interesting information, such as that the relics in the main altar at St. Anne are those of the obscure martyrs Ss. Gratus and Beatus, or that the vestments in vogue in the 1990s were indeed quite hideous.

David's mantle includes a illuminated sticker depicting
the stained glass window above the high altar of St. Anne.

The most interesting memento from David's archives was a recording of a Spanish-language news segment on the Traditional Latin Mass that aired on Univision around November 2006. The late Carl Horst, sacristan of San Diego's original TLM congregation at Holy Cross Cemetery, likely distributed the DVD copies of this recording to various members of the Holy Cross TLM as a keepsake, since the majority of the Univision segment consisted of footage from the usual Sunday TLM at Holy Cross alongside interviews with various members of the congregation. Many of the faces in the news segment are familiar since they still attend Mass at St. Anne. David himself was interviewed for the segment, with Brothers Tom Gray and Ron Clemente standing behind him.

Fr. Victor Szczurek, O.Praem. and Archbishop Cordileone were also interviewed in English and Spanish respectively. Following the days of Holy Cross, Fr. Victor served as a regular chaplain to the Traditional Latin Mass communities in North County before they were exiled to Pala, and his chaplaincy was from there succeeded by the chaplaincy of Fr. Peter Adrian Miller, O.Praem. Fr. Victor was also often the celebrant or hebdomadary for many of our events, including Missa Cantatas at St. John the Evangelist in Encinitas and All Hallows Vespers at the Serra Chapel at Mission San Juan Capistrano. During his interview, Archbishop Cordileone (who was at that time still an auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of San Diego and the Titular Bishop of Natchez, Mississippi) made references to the liturgical conservatism of then-Pope Benedict XVI. The opinions on reverence, beauty, and tradition expressed by His Excellency today seem to have remained unchanged since this interview from nearly two decades ago, when Summorum Pontificum had yet to be published. We pray that we may be able to celebrate Mass or Vespers with His Excellency again in the future, and we hope that whoever is appointed to our diocese to succeed McElroy is gracious enough to permit His Excellency to celebrate the Traditional Rite whenever he comes through town.

Friday, March 21, 2025

Mar. 31 - Apr. 2 (Mon-Wed): Fauré Requiem and Other Services

Folio 116r of Turin-Milan Hours (c. 1420)
Anonymous Flemish, Mass for the Dead

Monday, March 31, 18:30 (6:30 PM)
Solemn High Requiem for Maria Holc
w/ Gregorian Ordinary and Proper

Celebrant: Rev. Fr. Peter Adrian Miller, O.Praem.

Tuesday, April 1, 19:00 (7:00 PM)
Traditional Chanted Office of the Dead
(Vespers, 1st Nocturn of Matins, and Lauds)

Hebdomadary: TBD

Wednesday, April 2, 18:30 (6:30 PM)
Solemn Traditional Latin Funeral Mass
for John Menzies & Jean Burt Polhamus
w/ Fauré Requiem in D Minor, Op. 48

Celebrant: Rev. Fr. John Lyons, F.S.S.P.


Text of Requiem Mass with translation for mobile devices. 

Please join us for two Sung Traditional Requiem Masses during the week of Laetare Sunday. The first (on Monday) will be for the repose of the soul of Maria Holc, mother of one of the Brothers in San Diego. The second (on Wednesday) will be for the repose of the souls of John M. Polhamus and Jean B. Polhamus, parents of Chorus Breviarii founder John B. Polhamus. Music for the latter Mass will be taken from Gabriel Fauré's choral Requiem (1890) and the traditional Gregorian chant propers. Additionally, all are free to join us on Tuesday night for the praying of the Office of the Dead for the repose of these souls.

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Welcome, Brothers!


Warm congratulations to Adrian and Marlon, who traveled to London to become the latest (but hopefully not the last) Brothers of the Little Oratory in San Diego!