Abbey-Roads2

Is Fr. John Paul Echert in trouble again?

I’m sure it is probably just an innocent misunderstanding, unless non-SSPX traditionalists really do not accept the authority of the Holy Father, or the the Second Vatican Council, and - oh - my - gosh!  Even the Summorum Pontificum!

So here is the deal… 

Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 11:11 pm    Post subject: “What is going on with Fr. Echert?” My husband has asked me to send this letter to AQ:Our family has been attending the Traditional Latin Mass at St. Augustine Parish in South St. Paul, Minnesota for about six years, currently under the able pastorship of Fr. John Echert. The Traditional Mass, whether said by Fr. Echert, by Fr. Bryan Pedersen, or by Fr. Robert Altier, are very precise and holy masses.Last September, just after the Motu Proprio “Summorum Pontificem” took effect, Fr. Echert shocked the Traditional Latin Mass community by reading the epistle and gospel from the high altar in English, for a Sunday Low Mass, and he explained in his sermon during that mass, that the Motu Proprio permitted this, and that he would continue this practice. At a High Mass, the readings would continue to be chanted in Latin.The reaction from the TLM community was swift, and the following Sunday at Low Mass, Fr. Echert restored the Latin for the readings from the High Altar. He explained, though, that once Rome issued a clarification of the Motu Proprio, he would reexamine the situation concerning the readings, and whether the vernacular is permitted from the High Altar. He also said that at all weekday Low Masses, the readings would be in English, not Latin. If I remember correctly, his explanation for this development was something about not wanting to repeat himself.This past Sunday, July 6th, for the 8th Sunday after Pentecost, at a Low Mass, Fr. Echert shocked us again by reading the epistle and gospel in English from the High Altar. In his sermon, after some announcements, he explained. Rome had spoken, and the vernacular was definitely permitted from the High Altar in the Traditional Form of the Mass, so that is what we are going to have from now on, except at High Mass where the readings will still be chanted in Latin.I will try to summarize his explanation for why we are doing this at this time, as best I can recall.Fr. Echert first explained that at Papal Masses, the Pope had recently insisted on distributing communion only on the tongue, and that communicants must kneel to receive. Also, at other parishes where an communion rail was restored and used (for Novus Ordo masses), the postures for receiving communion went from about 80% standing and in the hand, to 75% to 80% kneeling and on the tongue almost overnight.Fr. Echert then explained that a long time ago, some Orthodox Jews insisted that the Scriptures could only be read or chanted in ancient Hebrew because this is the language of God. Later, when the New Testament was written, other scholars insisted that Greek was the language of God and only Greek could be used for the Scriptures. And when St. Jerome was translating the Scriptures to create the Latin Vulgate, he was translating them to the current vernacular language of Latin. Also, St. Jerome questioned whether the Deutero-Canonical books were truly part of Scripture and did not wish to translate them, but that the Church in Her wisdom overruled him, and these books are now part of Scripture.Fr. Echert also stated that during the Triduum, when the Passion is read, it is confusing to have the Passion read simultaneously in Latin from the sanctuary and in English from the lectern. But he did not say for whom it was confusing, and I was never confused by this. Fr. Echert explained that the Such-and-Such Committee in Rome (I forget the name) and Cardinal Hoyos(?), after consulting the Holy Ghost, had determined that the permission of vernacular languages for the readings from the High Altar in the Traditional Latin Mass was truly the “will of God” and was a Good, Holy and Organic development of the Traditional Latin Mass. Fr. Echert also stated that he would probably receive several letters about this, and perhaps be pulled aside after Mass by a few of us, but that would not change his mind because (I quote) “I’m stubborn. I’m German and I’m stubborn.” Fr. Echert has received a lot of grief from some Novus Ordo parishioners for the changes he has made to the sanctuary and the Novus Ordo mass. He replaced the 1960’s era red shag carpeting in the sanctuary with beautiful cream and gold marble tile, he put the Cranmer table in storage and says the N.O. mass ad orientem, he removed the “sign of peace” from the N.O. mass, and he uses the communion railing at all masses. The Traditional Mass community have been his best supporters. So why this change that will alienate so many of us? What is the reason? Was something broken that he had to fix? Personally, I have no idea what to make of this. I confess I was furious, just like I used to be at N.O. masses for thirty-five years before I left them for Tradition. I had the urge to slam my missal on the pew and stomp out. I didn’t, of course. Can someone figure this out for us? I’m lost… again. St. Augustine Parish Office: 651-451-1212 - Angel Queen Forum

End of story?

See - I think this stuff is going to keep happening, and it is a shame.  Fr. Echert is one of the best priests I have ever met; indeed, one of the few I trust implicitly.  He has been such a champion of the traditional Mass that for people to turn on him is a great betrayal… but that is what happens when people get too Catholic for the Church. 

Thanks to Ray and Angel Queen for the story.

The novitiate that fell apart. 

Once upon a time, there was a monastery with seven novices.  They had a very nice young monk as their Father Master.  It was an odd little group, and the Father had a difficult time keeping his little flock together.  (It is just too bad I can’t tell the whole story right now.)  Suffice it to say, each novice left one by one, until the Father Master couldn’t take it any more either, and then there was only one.  Seven monks left the monastery, and only one novice remained in the community.  Hence the statistic:  only 1 in 8 men understand monastic life; as well as, only 1 in 8 persevere; and the other, 8 out of 9 men have an idealized view of monastic life.  (The Father Master may have had the most idealized view of all.)  I have other statistics as well, but the former novices are still alive.

The End.

Photo credit:  Thanks to D.J. for the photos of the novice class at a little monastery in the middle of a very big country.  Br. A. is not shown because he is taking the photo.  Novices standing are:  br. N. - the only one to persevere; br. D.J. - bearded in middle; br. B. at end with the tv glasses.  Novices seated are: br. I - also wearing tv glasses and sitting much too close to; br. C. - the very handsome novice sitting completely sideways, facing fr. R. wearing the black scapular, and then br. L.  who was the first to go.  I cannot write more because as I mentioned in the story, most of these people are still alive and probably litigious.

Monks and nuns and bears, oh my!

Once upon a time there was a very spiritual nun who obediently, albeit reluctantly, joined the other sisters for recreation, although she rarely ever stayed for more than a few minutes.  When asked by the prioress where she disappeared to, she would explain that because of her poor health, she had been fatiqued and needed to rest.

It’s called, “my space”. 

When she was finally alone, she would either call friends, or email them; often to complain about the lack of discipline in her monastery, and how she took refuge in her cell, away from all the disturbance.  The sister told one friend:  “This sister always says things she thinks are funny but they hurt my feelings.”  “That sister argues with me about how we should be chanting the office.”  “Those sisters seem to have formed a clique because they never discuss anything I am interested in.”  “And sister so and so always condescendingly asks about my health - as if I am faking poor health to protect my privacy, or do my own thing.” 

The unfortunate sister was very lonely and terribly misunderstood.  So her friend tried to encourage her and told her:

Just a precaution.

Remember that when you entered the monastery, you did so that “all may fashion you and try you.  Thus, to free yourself from the imperfections and disturbances that can be engendered by the mannerisms and attitudes of the religious you live amongst, and draw profit from every occurrence, try to imagine all in the community are artisans, as indeed they are - living there just in order to prove and try you.”[Jn. de la +]

Mean girls.

“Some will fashion you with deeds, others with words, and others with thoughts and looks (you perceive to be) against you.  To all of this be submissive, as the statue is to the craftsman who carves it, to the artist who paints it, and to the gilder who embellishes it.”  [Jn. de la +]

Toughen up.

“If you fail in these matters, you will never learn how to overcome your sensitiveness and feelings, nor will you get along well in the community with the religious, nor attain holy peace, nor free yourself from many stumbling blocks and evils.”  [Jn. de la +]

“Shirley such advice is not for modern times!”

But the sister did not like the advice her friend gave her, saying it was too idealistic, and she never talked to her friend again.  The sister eventually left the monastery she lived in and found another house.  The new house seemed “just right”!   And there she began the entire process all over again. 

The End.

“Homosexuality is “natural” for homosexuals…”  - Anglican Primate of Ireland.

Primate indeed.  Anglican Archbishop Alan Harper “called for his Church to reassess the traditional orthodox Christian interpretation of scriptural passages prohibiting and condemning homosexual activity…  Harper referred specifically to the first chapter of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans in which the Apostle says that homosexual “lusts” result from apostasy.”

“Harper asserted in a paper given to the annual conference of the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, in Swanwick in Derbyshire that homosexual acts are not “unnatural” and should be accepted as given to them by God.”

That is pretty much what gay activists want to hear. 

No wonder Anglicanism is falling apart.

And the actions of the invaders. 

Most Americans ought to be aware by now of the horrible persecutions committed against the Christians in Iraq, ongoing since the Bush “liberation” - Iraqis now say they had greater freedom - and protection- under Saddam before the war.  That said, do we ever hear of what harm the liberators have perpetrated against the Christian population?  I haven’t.  But I came across the following piece as I was searching for an image of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.  (I’m sure it cannot be true…  The journalist who wrote it must be anti-American!  I’m being facetious.)

From the illegal occupation of palaces, schools, monasteries and destruction of much of the world’s wonders, across the country, the US, UK and their dwindling “allies” have committed cultural war crimes of near unprecedented enormity.

Now it transpires that America’s crusading Christian soldiers are evicting the monks from the monasteries to make quarters for occupation troops, according to Azzaman, Churches too are being evacuated. Patriarch Emanuel Deli, Head of the Chaldean Community in Iraq, is quoted as saying: “U.S. and Iraqi officials are responsible … They have insulted and humiliated our temples and churches”, he said, pleading with the international community to intervene.

U.S. troops, reports Azzaman, “have turned one of Baghdad’s largest monasteries, where the Chaldeans had a theology college and seminary, into a military barracks”.

From the illegal occupation of palaces, schools, monasteries and destruction of much of the world’s wonders, across the country, the US, UK and their dwindling “allies” have committed cultural war crimes of near unprecedented enormity. America’s and Britain’s finest can only be compared to the Vandals, a Teutonic race who ravaged Gaul, Spain and in 455, Rome itself and have forever become the by-word for ignorant and wilful destruction. - Felicity Arbuthnot