Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church

Dear Folks,

German on the bulletin cover and singing Latin at Mass? What are we to think?

The German on the bulletin cover was an artistic selection by the bulletin editor. Don’t worry, Masses will not now be in German.

What about singing the Creed in Latin as we did a couple of weeks ago? The second Vatican Council explicitly asked that all of the faithful know the Latin Mass parts that correspond to them: the Gloria, Creed, Holy Holy Holy, Memorial Acclamation, and the OurFather. This has been sadly and widely ignored.

So in trying to gently keep this alive, the parish is faithfully trying to be a part of the universal church. However, some folks do not know this, nor do they have a desire for this. is is why it has been primarily in the shorter liturgical seasons, and why we have done mostly the three shortest prayers.

However, this year, I suggested to the music director that we sing the Latin version of the Creed. It generated a few raised eyebrows, but also a good number of open hymnals! Next weekend, we will sing the Credo again in Latin. Pentecost Sunday seemed a particularly good feast to use the universal language of the Latin Rite Church! We might break it out occasionally on big feasts. There is no intention to move away from praying the creed in English, as the normal routine.

Two ways that you might prepare for next weekend:

1. Here is a link to the chant that we will use to pray the Creed. You could familiarize yourself with the music, to make it easier.

https://tinyurl.com/bdcnk2k8

2. I have asked the music director to put the music, Latin text, and English translation into the music sheet handed out at Mass. This should make it easier for you to to follow the meaning of the sung text in Latin.

Great News!!!!

Soon-to-be Fr. Stan Lee will be joining us aer his ordination next month!! It was announced this week, and we look forward to his arrival at the end of June!!

We will be back up to ve priests, and I will plan on adding back the Masses we had to drop when we lost Fr. Renner last summer!! (the start date for those will be in the bulletin next month).

We are working on receiving a little biographical info on Fr. Lee to share with you all. I am certain you all will warmly welcome him, as for the priests, we are sooooo ready to welcome him to our rectory!

pax,

Father John Mosimann

Due to Confirmation at the church, the 8am Confessions and 9am Mass are moved to Holy Cross Academy, 250 Stafford Lakes Pkwy, Fredericksburg, VA 22406.

Due to Confirmation at the church, the 8am Confessions and 9am Mass are moved to Holy Cross Academy, 250 Stafford Lakes Pkwy, Fredericksburg, VA 22406.

Dear Folks,

Happy Mother’s Day! I assure you of my prayers and blessing. I share this quote, which I oen revisit on

this day:“The most important person on earth is a mother. She cannot claim the honor of having built Notre Dame Cathedral. She need not. She has built something more magnificent than any cathedral—a dwelling for an immortal soul, the tiny perfection of her baby’s body.”— Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty

I have heard many people say that their most moving moment in The Passion of the Christ is when Mary runs up the street to embrace Our Lord after He falls beneath the weight of the Cross. The scene is interwoven with flashbacks of Mary lifting Jesus when He stumbled as a small child. And, using artistic license, the filmmaker places words from the Book of Revelation upon the bloodied lips of Our Lord as Mary embraces Him in tears:

“See, Mother, I make all things new.”

For me, I often think of the moment when Mary kisses Jesus’ feet upon the Cross and His Precious Blood touches her lips. It is such an explicitly Eucharistic moment. Shortly afterward, she cries out, “Flesh of my flesh, heart of my heart, my son, let me die with you.”

Every loving soul desires to carry the cross for their beloved—especially parents for their children. Yet Jesus responds by entrusting her to the beloved disciple. In the sorrows of Our Lady, we see some of the greatest expressions of maternal love. Little children are truly soothed by the loving embrace of their mother when they stumble. And the heart of a mother burns with the desire to suffer alongside her child.

Being a mother is not easy—and it was not easy even for Our Lady. Perhaps it is because I have been praying for your crosses that I have found myself drawn to contemplate the sorrows of Mary.

Pax,

Father John Mosimann