On Sunday, June 3, a special additional bilingual Mass will be celebrated at 12:30pm at Holy Cross Academy, followed immediately by a Eucharistic Procession around the school property, and then the parish picnic! All are invited to attend. This Mass will not affect any of our normally scheduled Sunday Masses.
On Tuesday, May 15, 2018 at 7:30 p.m., Concerts at St. Mary will present organist Ken Cowan in a concert which will explore the many tonal resources of St. Mary’s 49-rank Robert William Wallace pipe organ.
Regarded as one of North America’s finest concert organists and praised for his dazzling artistry, impeccable technique, and imaginative programming by audiences and critics alike, Ken Cowan maintains a rigorous performing schedule that takes him to major concert venues in America, Canada, Europe and Asia. Recent feature performances have included appearances at Verizon Hall in Philadelphia with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Maison Symphonique in Montreal, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles as well as concerts in Germany and Korea. In recent years, Mr. Cowan has been featured artist at conventions held by the American Guild of Organist, the Organ Historical Society and the Royal Canadian College of Organists. Mr. Cowan has recorded numerous compact disc recordings which have earned critical acclaim for labels such as Pro Organo, JAV and Raven. A native of Thorold, Ontario, Canada, Mr. Cowan holds degrees from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music where he studied with Thomas Murray and the Curtis Institute of Music studying with John Weaver. In 2012, Mr. Cowan joined the keyboard faculty of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, Houston, Texas as Associate Professor and head of the organ department. In addition, he is Organist and Artist-in-Residence at Palmer Episcopal Church in Houston.
The concert program which will be presented by Mr. Cowan will include performances of Mendelssohn’s Sonata in F Minor, Wagner’s Wotan’s Farewell and Magic Fire Music, Dupré’s Second Organ Symphony and Mephisto Waltz No. 1 by Franz Liszt. Admission to the concert is free and a free-will offering will be taken to support future Concerts at St. Mary productions. Following the concert there will be a reception in the church’s Parish Life Center where there will be an opportunity to meet Ken Cowan and share fellowship with others.
Please note that due to Confirmation scheduling conflicts, the 8am Confessions and 9am Mass on May 12 are canceled. Confessions will still be heard at 3:30pm.
The 7pm Mass on Sunday May 6 with be celebrated by Fr. Sunny in the Syro-Malabar Rite. Many people don’t realize that the reason we put the modifier Roman in front of Catholic is because there are many different types of Catholics that make up the Universal Church. We Roman Catholics celebrate the sacraments in the forms taught to us by Peter and Paul, the Apostles who brought the faith to Rome, which spread over the Empire to all of Europe. But different parts of the world were taught Catholicism by different Apostles or saints, but are united with us in recognizing the successor of Peter as the head of the Church on Earth. We believe the exact same teachings of the church, we celebrate the same sacraments, and we have the same head in the Pope. The difference is they were brought the faith not by the Roman Empire but through other missionaries who, because of the difficulties in communications in ancient times, taught them in different ways how to celebrate Mass and the sacraments. For instance, the Coptic Catholic Church (The church in Egypt) was founded by the Evangelist St Mark. The Byzantine Catholic Church (in Turkey) was founded by the Apostle St Andrew, and the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is a form of Catholicism practiced by the Christians of India since they were brought the faith by the Apostle St Thomas in the First Century. Their Mass, which is called Holy Qurbana in their ancient tongue, dates back to the year 60 A.D., and is celebrated in a form of Syro-Aramaic, close to the language spoken by Jesus Himself. This is a unique opportunity for the Roman Catholic Community to experience the true fullness of the Catholic Faith by learning and worshipping with our brothers and sisters of a different Rite, but still members of the same Holy Catholic Church. This is an official Mass, and fulfills our Sunday obligation. There will also by a Syro-Malabar Choir that will sing at Mass, and the readings and homily will be in English. Come share the Eucharist with our brothers and sisters of a different Rite but the same one true Church of Christ!