Tuesday, May 21, 2013

The State of the Society of St. Gregory the Great


To all those interested in the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite in the Diocese of Baker:

For the last year and a half our website and blog have not reflected reality. 

Since the previous bishop (Apostolic Administrator) restricted our regular celebrant’s faculties to his monastery and then transferred all the other priests capable of saying the EF Mass at least 120 miles away, the Society of St. Gregory the Great has been in limbo. The current bishop has continued the same policy, so we have had no relief.

However, we have underway petitions to ecclesiastical authorities in Rome to intervene in order that we might once again sponsor at least a monthly Mass in the EF at one of the local parishes near Bend. Currently, the only parishes suitable for such celebrations are the historic St. Francis Church in downtown Bend and the Church of Our Lady of the Snows in Gilchrist, although a couple others might be made workable. We have been denied permission at both venues.

We ask your prayers that we will soon be able to sponsor such Masses again, as well as chant workshops, and workshops in the New Translation with English chants for the Propers.  These workshops, too, have been effectively curtailed by the bishop’s actions.

We will keep you abreast of our ongoing efforts to restore the Mass of the ancient rite to Central Oregon and the entire diocese, as well as our efforts to improve the quality of the liturgy in this diocese, whether the “old Mass” or the “new Mass”.

We welcome donations to our treasury in order that we might explore every avenue to providing the EF Mass for those who desire it.

You can remit donations to:

SSGG
61149 S. Highway 97,
Box 169,
Bend, OR 97702.

All contributions are tax deductible and you will receive a notice at the end of the tax year for the amount you have contributed.  

Sincerely,  

Stephanie Swee
President, Society of St. Gregory the Great

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