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/