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Symposium on Latin Mass Coming up This September in Kansas

By Lisa Bergman
Founder, St. Augustine Academy Press

So many times people tell me, “I would love to go to the Latin Mass, but it’s just so confusing!”  Or “I’ve tried going to the Latin Mass, but I feel so lost that I’m just not getting anything out of it.”

I totally understand that feeling.  I’ve been there myself.  In fact, when I first began attending the Tridentine Mass I had a newborn baby and 3 other children under the age of 5.  So not only was I lost, but my children were still wiggly and noisy and I simply couldn’t give my full attention to the Mass.  I soldiered through because for me, it was love at first sight.  But I know just how hard it can be.

It was this frustration—especially for my children’s sake—that led me to create a booklet for my children that eventually became first Learning to Follow the Mass and then Treasure and Tradition.  These books have helped many people to become acclimated to the TLM and the challenges its complexity can sometimes present to the newcomer.

But what if you could attend a weekend symposium specifically intended to introduce newcomers to the ins and outs of the Traditional Latin Mass?  Where you could get your questions answered?  Where you could learn all the elements necessary to implement the Latin Mass in your parish?

Well, if you can make it to Pittsburg, Kansas for the weekend of September 15-17 (hey—it’s centrally located!) you can learn all these things.  This symposium is not just for those who already know and love the Latin Mass (they are welcome too!) but for anyone—even whole families—who would like to find out what it’s all about.  (Did we mention that childcare is included?)

Some of the presenters include: Father James Jackson, FSSP, author of the book Nothing Superfluous, Louis Tofari, owner of Romanitas Press as well as an instructor, speaker, and consultant on liturgical matters of the traditional Roman Rite.  Ron Klassen will be teaching a class about the music used in the TLM.  The Honorable Robert Reavis will speak about the spirituality of the TLM and its importance in our lives.  And me?   Well, my talk is entitled “How I became an Expert on the Latin Mass and Twelve other Untrue Tales.”

These are the five main purposes this conference hopes to achieve:

  • First, to serve as an introduction to the Traditional Roman Mass for those who would like to learn more about their Catholic liturgical heritage;
  • Second, to serve as the first step in teaching the practical arts of singing, serving, saying, and participating in this venerable and beautiful form of the Roman Mass;
  • Third, to help parents, home school teachers, PSR instructors, and R.C.I.A. leaders to acquire the knowledge and materials necessary to help transmit this important, though often overlooked, aspect of Catholic identity;
  • Fourth, to allow people  of common minds regarding liturgy, theology, beauty, music, spirituality, and reverence to meet, know, and enjoy each other’s company;
  • Finally, to take the first step in evaluating the possibility of establishing a stable Latin Mass community in the four state area of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

To find out more about this symposium, you can visit this website: http://www.olomtcarmel.org/

4 thoughts on “Symposium on Latin Mass Coming up This September in Kansas”

  1. I shall be there with my parents – we’re from Fort Scott, so we know the Klassens and Fr. McElwee. I’m so happy that there is something like this occurring in southeast Kansas/Diocese of Wichita. I am assuming that the Sunday Mass is a Latin Mass (I guess that would be odd if the Sunday Mass of a Latin Mass Symposium was not the Latin Mass 🙂 ) – if the schedule we have at home is correct, Fr. Voss is celebrating the Mass? If so, that is great to know of another priest in the Diocese of Wichita who can say the Latin Mass, and that such a priest is the chaplain at PSU! Don’t know many priests in the Diocese of Wichita who actually know how to celebrate it and/or do celebrate it.

    Reply
  2. Being from Kansas, this seems like a very odd place to hold a conference, at least if you actually want anyone to attend it. Pittsburg is not close to any large population centers or reasonably-sized airports. The people who are unsure about TLM who are saying, “I would love to go to the Latin Mass, but it’s just so confusing!” are not going to make the effort. Thus, the people who will strive to make the trek will already be “the choir”.

    But I guess this is typical for Latin Mass: odd times and inconvenient places. Make sure everything is as difficult as possible.

    Reply
    • You’re probably right. But at least it will be a good opportunity for those in the southeast Kansas area, or relatively close to it, who may be interested.

      Reply
  3. This is a great opportunity to “Simul-cast the conference nationwide via the internet. Those already in the know and those desiring to know more could do it from the confines of their home etc. If taped the conference could be viewed at a later date/time on-line at one’s leisure with the link being passed by email by family and friends to others obtaining the widest possible distribution over time and views by persons and families.
    I’ve heard the Latin Mass (FSSP) is currently growing with 35 parishes across the U.S mainly due to home school families who include the Latin mass in their curriculum, in my humble opinion they’re a saving grace for the church and nation. Getting this info out on the internet may bring back older Catholics as well which I’ve heard on more than one occasion no longer attend mass. Many parishes do not have a Latin mass because their priests only know the “Novus Ordo Mass”. Priests should to learn to offer both masses and offer catechism programs in the parish for children and adults to grow their appreciation and understanding of the Latin mass. Over-time parishioners will make their own choice of which mass to attend, vernacular or Latin. Offering one type of mass doesn’t mean you have to completely do away with the other both are valid. Many Eastern Rite Masses that are ancient like the Traditional Latin Rite are valid, celebrated daily and weekly with the Pope’s/Rome’s blessing. There’s no Free-Will exercised here if one does not have a choice, they can both be valid good choices.

    Reply

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